Call ahead and ask if they use their own money before scheduling any appointments.If you have a little bit for down payment (3.5%) you could do an FHA 203k or Homestyle Loan.  

I went ahead and terminated the contact knowing that there would be something better to come along.

*DISCLAIMER - long post ahead* (bear with me and I hope I'll make it worth the whole 3 minute it takes you to read)Let me start with a quick story.

In the future once you've been successful then go ahead and change as your goals and situation does.

So I should go ahead and stick with the $250k?

Thank you ahead of time.

Some of the architects I've talked to over the past year took over 2 years before they got the go ahead from the county to start building.

In other words, how does one really get ahead that much if the majority of that rent is going right back into the mortgage each month?

But if that happens, your visit isn't going to be scheduled ahead of time and it won't likely have a lot of time for fun and relaxation, so the location doesn't much matter.

Unless its in an are that they know will be increasing a lot in value and are just setting on it, but even then I'd go ahead and rehab it and rent it with intentions of selling it later.