Go to your local United Way  or Red Cross, Salvation Army,  explain your going to lose your housing due to disrepair and would like assistance in finding housing.. they may be able to help. 

Before you start counting the money, have a couple of local agents come out and value the property.

Maybe this path will eventually lead me back to California (fingers crossed).

(Put in $150,000, get 0 (because of breakeven rents and mortgages), but why do we not count the equity we build from paying down the mortgage?)

So, I think there's a fine line, that many newbies simply don't know not to cross, because they don't have the experience and don't know how hard won that information or contact is.

It would take more time than I can put into cross-referencing all the lists to see where the lower one lives.

So far, that has been my experience, and I certainly hope to cross paths with you as well in the near future!

A few questions:Can anyone recommend a lender that can count 75% of the future rent (Does FHA still allow this?)

We are currently waiting to close on another property using a traditional conventional loan this Friday (fingers crossed, this is our first investment property so its really exciting).  

Selena, if your bank won't work with you there are some private lenders/hard money lenders with programs that are sort of a cross blend ( not too hard ) but you have to have good credit scores to get them.