I let them know, yes proceed on T&M not to exceed the original number and do not do any work above that number.Week later contractor finds an issue and says "hey, we have another issue and we can take care of it for $500, As it stands I believe I am going to come in under my estimated total." - So we authorize the work.Contractor submits the quote yesterday for $8k and is threatening me about it. 

Take notes to reference later.  

Investing first and buying later provides financial freedom but may be time-consuming and costly.Good Luck!

The basic idea of having an appreciative asset that I could potentially utilize later in life in a multitude of ways is exciting. 

and how do you know your getting the real title and not an old title which the seller later filed for a lost title and got a new one which then had the recorded lien?

Buying near a trauma center or university is a solid plan for later, but getting experience with a simpler rental first can save you some headaches!

Then if you do sell later and you pay the tax, you are paying it with "future dollars" which are worth LESS because of all the inflation that occurred in the interim. 2.

I thought that would be a very reasonable request, but a month later they are still not willing to return that deposit. 

The kicker is that they never disclosed this to us previous to closing on the house, and they requested this a week later (today). 

Should I assume the in-place IHDA loan at acquisition or close with a conventional loan and try to get IHDA loans/grants/credits later if/when I decide to keep affordable?