For years we had a local chattel lender who took on higher risk loans for those without the large down, not super high credit, and on older homes.

House-hacking today often has to rely on much greater lifestyle sacrifice than what I personally did 10 years ago, and requires strategies that would make me uncomfortable like rent by the room, or using local laws that allow Short-Term rental only for owner-occupants. 

Connecting with local real estate investors and getting advice from experts can help you understand market patterns and investment techniques.

Yeah, I wanted my first property to be fairly turnkey mainly to learn some of the processes, build connections with local contractors, and mainly build confidence/momentum for future deals.

I continue to be flabbergasted at the local politicians who pass all these tenant friendly laws creating mounds of paperwork with a myriad of details and are surprised by why there are more evictions.

In this industry, people know people very quickly and reputation is everything-- when working alongside others on their financial futures/supporting local economies, truth is the hallmark of success.

I wanted to see if there was anyone local to Purdue University that is involved buying or selling real estate.I am an electrician with backgrounds in mechanics and control systems(more information in my profile) and id be more than happy to share my skills in return for mentorship or just to network.Otherwise I was wondering if there are investors in this area (Tippacanoe and surrounding) that could shed some light on this area regarding how difficult it may be or areas to stay away from. 

I reached out to a local bank that knew the property, and asked for the commercial lending department. 

It was not producing a return that justified the effort and this was a purchase made prior to the recent rate hikes and the crazy appreciation from 2012 to 2022 (so its return was better than if the property was purchased today).I do believe a local investor should do better than an OOS investor, but it starts with accurate/realistic under writing.  

Why not talk to a local agent or 5 and see what they think?