And, in SC, even with a lease-to-own, the land-lord is still a land-lord and is legally responsible for maintaining habitability of the home - no way to offload the burden of maintenance and repairs to the tenant according to SC law.There may also be other forces at work. 

Application of these skills and knowledge is vital to growth in the industry.Regarding the student debt, depending on the rate it is at, it may be worth focusing on paying it down while you further your education in real estate.

For me, I bought a house that needed a septic system so was not habitable.  

If you don't and you start to do well in real estate, you will likely take your same habits of not saving into your real estate investing and create a potentially bigger problem.I would suggest you start out with reading the book The Richest Man in Babylon and follow the principles in that book.  

That's a function of bad financial habits and planning.

My ThinkingUpon taking possession, I'd ask the current tenants to agree to/sign a month-to-month lease with monthly escalations until brought to just below market rate (the house needs a little work, but still habitable).Assuming close by 12/31, I'd structure it as follows:1.

And are you currently in the habit of asking potential sellers if they have had any losses in the last 5 years?

I've made a small habit of investing in their breweries over the years..    ;-)..no clue about the homes though..

In addition, learning to manage the draw schedule and your cash reserves is vital to staying alive.

I'd almost say your logic is beyond faulty -- its dangerous.Rather -- and I would not say this applies to Dante, specifically -- but the habits we take going into a deal mean far more than the deal itself.You cannot make money if you cannot align your income and expenses properly.You cannot make money if you overspend/spend more than what you make.You cannot make money if you are undisciplined in financial and operational matters -- you may be able to show short profits, but I think long-term success is highly predicated on proper planning, forecasting, adjusting, and action.To me seeking out a profitable deal to "right the ship" is like buying an advanced set of lottery tickets.