@Robert Ellis Where would you invest in Cincinnati right now? 

So instead of paying off a car if you only have 10 payments left or can pay it down to 10 payments banks/lenders (omit) ignore the entire payment which helps lower your debt to income ratios DTI.

I am not after cash flow right now.

Outside of that, you're left working with normal buyer/seller relations. 

As it is I'm left, on paper,  responsible for almost $1000 of the current mortgage and can't qualify for enough to buy what I'm looking for

Would a handyman be the right person to show the apt?

A 2 hour sit down with a real estate CPA can lay out a very good path for you, and  you will have $24,000 more left in your bank account.  

Which implies to me that this big federal level entity -- for whatever it's worth -- seems to think that buying, maintaining, and owning a rental property is A-OK.But, then again, sometimes the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.

I have plenty of clear height (24-28'), acreage, parking, and the right zoning to do this and I am located in a mid-major market.

I am getting started with Bird Dogging right now!