Brian - I have 5 years left until I retire and I'm with a non deployable unit under very special circumstances where I am sure I will not be deploying.

If it's an extenuating circumstance like a spouses death or something serious like that you years go down for conventional to 2 years.I hope this helps and have a good one :)

You do not come across sounding like you assume every one is in a position to just jump in with both feet regardless of circumstances you know nothing about.

It only accounts for taxes and insurance and neglects the plethora of other expenses, capital, and vacancy you will have over time. 

3 plex flat roof property has leaks on the inside, had a few roofers looked at it.the scope of work involves:1.Existing roof has many years of patching and patching and needs replacement, considering a tapered insulation system to give a bit of slope for rain runoff.2.Many of the joists are rotted on their ends due to moisture damages and neglect, so a significant number of those need to be repaired by sistering a longer piece to tie it back tobwhere the members are solid.3.Some plywood decks if rotted may need replacement, no telling now many until roofing membranes are torn off.4.All wood fascia are to be replaced due to rot.5.Repaint new fascia.Am I correct that I should request two invoices two "jobs", item 1 is new roof to be depreciated, item 2-5 are repairs that may be expended one time?

That is because of my personal circumstances (age, investment outlook, retirement planning, etc).So in the words of Clint Eastwood - are you feeling lucky, punk?  

Circumstances change and they could be a deal a few months down the road.

My husband and I both have bad credit and not enough income to cover current debts due to a series of circumstances with both our jobs... layoffs, medical issues which caused job loss, etc.

@James KlafehnThat's literally the worst set of circumstances I've ever heard about for someone getting into RE.

Hi John,  like you, I am new to real estate investing and my circumstances are similar to yours, in fact,  I have located a couple of pre-foreclosure properties that are scheduled for auction mid March.