@Ericka Grant  LOL!! 

I listened to real estate investor, Grant Cardone, and he said unless you have money you can burn, skip the single-family properties, and look for a multi-family property that the average rent paid is low. 

An option contract may not have any performance requirement made for the buyer or optionee, can't require the tenant to do anything under the option or tie performance under the lease to the option.A contract for deed grants an equitable title, but not legal title to the property.

Granted the house is in a C to C+ neighborhood but it is the nicest house on the block.

@Monique Courtney when you first get started, your LLC (if you choose to use one) won't have credit of it's own, and you'll likely have to personally guarantee any credit that it is granted.  

There's a process where I can apply for a variance, but I don't want to bother with the time and expense of doing so if granting R3 variances are unheard of in Schenectady and I'm almost guaranteed to get a "no".  

Granted, I was mostly aware of the first issue before closing (fixing a cabinet and outlets).With that in mind, what is everyone's experience when starting out, or acquiring a new property?

Granted there are plenty of other decisions to be made - buy and hold multi-family, single family?

As far as an accountant or firm we use Grant Thorton, contact Tyler Neils We can't list phone number numbers in here  but if you add me I can give it to youLet me know if you need more assistanceEdison

My name is Grant Mone.