My father in-law has not been living in his house (primary residence) for nearly a year.

If there is an estate or something else that lays claim to it and you gave it to the father, it might cause some issues. 

I think you should work in the franchise like your father wants.Learn the business, what if you worked as many hours as you can, work 80 hours a week or even work 100 hours a week (child labor laws might limit this ????)

What are your father’s financial objectives?

I would check with your lender to confirm if 0% can be used for 3 and 4 units...they might require 5% down.SFR investment with rehab can also be a great way to invest in real estate. it just depends what are your strengths and goals and which strategy will best serve you.buying a home a year is normal for some. depends on what your goals are.Id think of it like planting a tree: being 25, time is on your side. if you have a solid income with healthy DTI, I would suggest taking advantage of it by house hacking small multi in A/B market and let father time be your friend.

My father in law had purchased one of those for about $40,000 before he died.

The family that moved in after we left, the father died during the night, then the mom and kids moved out. 

The 2nd just told me she couldn’t afford it because was taking care of her father and going to school.

I little bit about myself - I am a father of 5, a husband and a grandfather of 2 beautiful boys. 

Hey all,Soon I'll be closing on my father's old house that I inherited and I want to get back into the market with some rental properties.