Waianae however, an area most people use to avoid, is now growing with lots of new homes that are still affordable.

Is the foreclosed property large enough to contain it's own septic field and could it afford selling off a strip to accommodate the encroachment?

With the market this hot I can afford to wait for a better/bigger entry point but I also see the merit of starting my practical learning now.

I can afford to have a relatively lower cap rate/cash flow because I have a great job at this time so it wouldn’t be the worst thing if the deal is not perfect but again I posted for any helpful comments.

I also heard they are not very affordable.

He apparently can't afford to retire until 70+ so somewhere he lost himself in the theory & abandoned the drive to achieve one of the most important goals we all have.

I could definitely afford a 20% down payment on a few of these homes, so traditional financing is not an issue; but my mom (a banker herself), mentioned how I could purchase some of the lower-cost homes with a credit card.

If a car is needed buy an affordable one and keep your overhead low.

Giving her the option of realizing she cannot afford this place allows for her to retain dignity. 

Find a mortgage broker, get your pre-approvals inline first and then that will help you figure out what you can afford and greatly narrow you list of properties to look for.