@Luke J Nelsen You may be able to withhold some or all of the Tenant's security deposit as damages for "cost of reletting" (defined as “leasing fees, advertising fees, utility charges, and other fees reasonably necessary to relet the Property.” 

Payments that you make normally fall into one of 3 buckets100% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnPartial payment can be factored somewhere on the return0% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnHouse-hacking also has considerable tax implications in the event that you want to sell this property.You can potentially defer a portion or all of the gain on the investment property with 1031 exclusion.You can potentially exclude a portion or all of the gain on the personal residence with section 121 exclusion

Benefits of post framing include but are not limited to: more efficient use of lumber, thicker wall cavities, large roof spans and quick to dry-in.

The subconscious or maybe not so subconscious belief that Black people or all low income minorities devalue neighborhoods and destroy property is a very hasty generalization of the whole based on behaviors of the few.

Ideally purchase a 2 unit property and rent out the second unit to cover some or all of your PITI.

Is it frowned upon/will it annoy my real estate agent if I want to place an offer on most or all of those homes, offering a little below the asking price to see if I could get one for potentially an even better deal?

Some may be a great combination of a few or all investment strategies.

The good news here is this:  there are good provisions in lending for sales and transfers within a family that create a beneficial situation for all.If the loan balance is small enough then you may be able to purchase it from your grandmother using the equity she wants to give you as part of or all of the down payment. 

Are you looking to invest passively in deals or actively and are you looking for single family, small multifamily or all the way up to apartment communities? 

If you buy a property at a discount or you buy it an add value, add a unit, change it's use... then you can do a cash out refi and get most or all of your cash back out.