You can't afford 1700 a month making 38k with three kids and a car payment. 

New mailbox and address  lettering  1000%light staging, light furniture, bright colors ( while or off white).These items are the biggest bang for the money and effort!

house hack (my first home) rents from the other two units basically cover my mortgage and allow me to have a house i other wise could never afford. appreciation has sky rocketed since i purchased last year.

We found what looks to be a steal - a 2 bedroom new construction super low taxes in perfect location (we otherwise wouldn t be able to afford this location) right in center city philadelphia, only concern is that both bedrooms are below grade in basement but it's in great condition since it's new.

When it comes to Habitational Real Estate, ie: apartments, condos, multifamily dwellings, short-term rentals, Student housing, affordable housing... and on and on. 

Depending on what your needs are you should still see something affordable in that area.Another thing you might want to look into is house hacking in that area. 

With the market hot and prices still affordable, BRRR is pretty easy here

Having family involved sounds great but project managing can be daunting and I would pay a 3rd party person to ensure things are truly done correctly if you are trying to find affordable contractors. 

NV is much more affordable and with soaring growth in the Reno/Carson areas, you’ll find great opportunity for both equity and cash flow! 

I spoke to some lawyers and it's not something they want to pursue or if they do, I can't really afford them.