Besides, my son is Autistic, which does not limit his ability to do hard work.

I did it personally, totally worth it not only for access to the MLS, but the ability to see exactly the houses that I want and on my own time too.

If you use it to by Property "B" either as a rental or new primary you would just want to make sure you have the ability to cover both payments Original "A" Mortgage and HELOC on "A".  

Some main reasons I have found amongst tenants are: poor credit, inability to save down payment, aversion to the commitment of buying and the responsibility it entails, ability to pick up and leave once lease is over without having to worry about selling first, and fear of being unable to properly maintain home and repairs (roof replacement, a/c and furnace issues, flooded basements, etc).Nada

The argument based on inspiration is mute.I could expand my message by pointing out -within my limited abilities - the many errors, omissions, and ridiculous advice contained in the book, but this has been masterfully hashed out by other great blogger and authors.

You would have to determine a probability on your ability to sublet.Also, if it is zoned as a commercial property, you may want to speak with the local municipality to make sure you can you can do what you'd like with the property.Lastly, I think it is a bit of red flag that it's been sitting on the MLS for 3+ months and it hasn't been scooped up.

The advantage you will have is the ability to "read" the market and compare it to other places you've lived.

And having the ability to lengthen your mortgage just looks like an excuse to justify seemingly poor investment returns.

I'm a writer and artist (painter of landscapes as well as walls.) 

There isn't a single number from 2004 that will help tell you whether you're going to make money or not.2) Understand that the ability to make money in buy and hold typically comes down to being able to buy the house right so you can leverage the use of OPM (Other people's money) - i.e. the bank's loan.Paying all cash for a rental is typically not going to give you the kind of return that makes sense.