From your last post the only thing I would change is to move the frig about 3 feet closer to the stove and put a counter top on that side of the frig too. 

I need to get my feet wet in the game

It would give us more flexibility to the better schools and time to get on our feet and figure out life back in the US and specifically how to budget in CA.

I’ll also say that I don’t plan for this to be my forever home, but I will likely keep it as a long-term investment (so, I’ll be running numbers both as a house hack and as fully rented).Here are my assumptions -Neighborhood: northwest Akron area (Highland Square/Wallhaven/Northwest Akron)Home price (just an estimate): $140kProperty type: duplex/small multifamilyExpenses -Property taxes: ~$3640/yearHome owner’s insurance: $70/monthWater/sewer/trash: ~$100/unitGas: $76/unitElectricity: $107/unitLawn care/snow removal: $500/yearI realize there are several other expenses to take into consideration (maintenance and repairs, cap ex, property management for when/if the time comes, vacancy, etc.), but I’m most uncertain about the local expenses that I’ve lined out.Also, if there are expenses specific to the area that I’m missing, I’d appreciate the info!

Once you have that figured out you can easily calculate a rough construction budget using the square footage and condition of the property you are trying to value.  

I waited two months to be assigned an officer just to find out that the max number of mortgages you can have is five - back to square one...

Lafayette Square is a beautiful area, I'm sure the house looks great after the work that you have done!

I'd recommend two things to get your feet wet:1.

It's covering our mortgage and we are on our way to making it a legal duplex.There are a lot of different strategies for getting your feet wet here but for now I think you should just focus on getting your bearings.

Purchase price: $92,000 Cash invested: $5,000 According to the Syracuse public records, the property at 423 Cayuga St, Syracuse, NY 13204 has approximately 1,492 square feet, with a lot size of 3,300 square feet.