Now if a contractor suggest skipping permit right off the bat, it may be a bad sign IMO. 

The expansion is headed out to more rural areas.Grand Bay and Theodore are smaller rural areas outside of Mobile off the i10 Interstate.

Is it realistic to pay off the debt and still keep the house or better to sell?

Drop off a letter and tell them you're a buyer.

Hi Steve,You could put a second position loan on it - like a HELOAN but this will be based off of income/tax returns.

23 years is a long way off, but I know a person with a hangar they are tearing down to build new in effort to keep their land lease.  

DSCR loans won't use your income to underwrite the loan.DSCR loans are based off of down payment, credit score and either actual or market rents so it helps to supercharge an investor's real estate goals and net worth.Here's a bit more in detail about how rates are calculated for DSCR loans:1.

I'm sure it pays off in the long run

Those areas as soon as a downturn economically lots of those tenants start defaulting and crime ramps up higher in those areas.

The earlier you start in your RE journey, the better off you will be in the future.