There's a very good chance the issue(s) you face have already been discussed and answered.Ask questions in the appropriate forum.

I got a good vibe, seems legit.

In most cases, the HOA is responsible for anything outside your walls and you are responsible for anything inside the walls.I would pay the bill to ensure the utility is good, then go after the HOA.

If you can do well in this market, you should be able to get more good deals done when things get a little easier for buyers/investors!

I've heard good things about them and have a family member who has done business with them.

good afternoon!

There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

Now, that said, your location is still good as Athens is a growing area and I've heard positives about it from other investors - however, we do not invest there at all (we don't have anything west of the city of Madison), so I honestly couldn't give you any feedback on the rental market there. 

Good luck!

I knew the sale side would have good homeowner or Airbnb potential with the location.