s property owners will have a 11% decrease in taxes which is significant now, Stockton University is constructing buildings on the beach block (The E.C. that I work for is working on the Parking Garage of that project), Tropicana Casino is expanding, and Hard Rock Casino has acquired Taj Mahal for a full renovation and transformation to a Hard Rock Casino.

Downfalls, it is small town that has had history of getting hit hard in recessions with high unemployment and decreased property values.

You can rent the house on a 12 month rental, short term rental, fix & flip the house and pay back your HELOC and you don't need to move into the house if that was not your plan.Pay down the HELOC balance over a period of time, similar to how you paid off your house in the first place which decreases the monthly payment so you cash flow better. 

I plan to self-manage for the experience, but as the number of units increase and/or my available free time decreases, I will eventually turn the units over to a property manager and plan to account for that while analyzing deals. 

It also cost per unit decreasing with increasing scale as fixed costs are spread out over more units.

People keep talking about the decreasing population in Cleveland but we see very high demand for rentals.  

If the home is in good condition the odds that the seller is distressed are going to decrease along with the opportunity to make money flipping the home after creating value with renovations.Food for thought for you.

I'm hoping that interest rate will decrease and home value will gradually appreciate?

Do not buy anywhere if the state or metro populations are static or decreasing.

Gaining equity in a condo while simultaneously decreasing your cost of living in an expense market will prove to be an overall great long-term decision in my opinion.