I’ve been around real estate for decades, and I read in The Economist once that in lively markets like Charlotte, folks will pay a premium for a comfortable room if you’re near major employers.A friend of mine tried something similar out in Austin a while back.. he’d inherited a 4-bedroom property and split it into individual room rentals.

My son currently lives in the townhouse b/c he is going to school and works in the area.Since he is young and starting out in life, I would like for him to only cover the basic costs (taxes, HOA, utilities) just enough for me to break even (I believe that will put him slightly little lower than market rent rates). 

Perhaps same with San Antonio, but just because the overall market may not be favorable, doesn't mean you can't find a deal or the right deal in any of them.Where do you live now and why wouldn't you invest there? 

Even if all the numbers pencil out, if no one wants to live there, I'm going to have a hard time making the numbers work, whether I'm selling a flip or renting out a property. 

You live in one room, rent out the others, and pay your expenses with the income.

@Michael Goddard Moving forward add to your posts where you live and/or where you intend to invest.

For example, if the roof was "under insured", or if the ground moved below the roof support (I learned recently that  earth movement is not covered under some policies, such as those on the bluffs of Lake Michigan falling into the water).

On the rental agreement it should clearly state that only those listed on the lease are allowed to live in the property. 

I absolutely love both of these areas and believe there are great opportunities everywhere, whether you're buying to live or investing.

You should have, or you should create an amortization table that shows the actual interest paid on the $650k mortgage for the first 6 months while you lived there.