@Patricia JohnsonWelcome to the site.Your credit will still be a factor.

However, this may not necessarily fit your lifestyle and if you have held them for up to 30 years the pro-rata tax-free benefit perhaps won't be that helpful.I highly recommend going to @Johnson H. meetup in San Jose.

Too many factors and really it is all about the numbers... and the work you need to do to get them into decent shape.

There are several factors at play.First off, you need determine your max price before you get caught up in the emotion of the auction. 

I know I skipped some of the math such as vacancies, turnover maint, appreciation etc but I wasn't sold on these being the major decision factor (please DO correct me if I'm wrong here)What am I missing? 

I did factor in about $1,000/year in flood insurance alone.

In addition, prices are based upon a market which is always moving, imperfect (prices are not always in line with value), and has other factors not considered (such as distressed conditions of the property or the owner).

There are too many factors to consider.If you're simply looking for legal protection, a much simpler option is to purchase umbrella insurance of $1 - $2 million. 

Not a mortgage guy but this would depend on a lot of factors that we have no insights on. 

Personally Condo's in my area start around the 180k price point, then you're going to want to factor in down payment (18k) & closing costs (>6k), most units come furnished and ready to go so that will help with expenses.Best of luck to you!