If such is the case, I'd walk away and continue the hunt elsewhere.If they will allow access, you may find that renovation was started but no permits were pulled and no inspections passed.

Purchase price: $168,000 Cash invested: $40,000 Sale price: $299,000 What started out as a family friend needing out of their home due to financial hardship turned into an incredible project for us.

I have always been interested but never knew where to start. 

Anyone know how to start an area?

I have repairs to complete and I'm starting anew by house hacking. 

Rinse and repeat.My question is what do I need to do to get started?

That is one of the few ways for folks with limited resources to get started. 

I believe they stopped using knob and tube wiring sometime in the 40s.Roof - Of course in that amount of years, most likely the roof has been replaced at least a couple times, but this is also a big ticket items to look closely at.Plumbing - I think it was sometime in the 80s when PVC pipes were starting to be widely used.  

I am looking to get into the real estate world in the short term with the idea of "house hacking" a duplex-quadplex with an FHA loan to start in the world of landownership.

I want to cut my teeth on my first real estate deal within twelve months of moving, and I am interested in starting my investment career with a fourplex.