Better check if NY has more strict laws. 

Bottom line: virtually always, sellers are better off working with licensed real estate professionals in their state than unlicensed individuals or companies. 

Would vinyl plank or just some wall paneling be a better/cheaper option? 

Your Credit Score: 680+ or 700+ will get you better terms depending on the lender. 660 is the minimum for many lenders.

We've decided to scale back on acquisitions and have started scouting out talent to add to our team to be better prepared for what's to come.While we believe we could greatly benefit from bringing on an Integrator, project manager, and construction manager as soon as possible, we are looking at cost/benefit for our first hire.

I don't know the intricacies of how they are installed or if one is cheaper but I can say with 100% certainty they are going to be better in the snow/winter and extreme weather. 

Is Texas better than KS, it seems I saw a log of complains of the high property tax!!

Honestly you’re not gonna cash flow pretty much anywhere in the region and to be honest you can “house hack” a rental basically you could rent a room in a house, the biggest reason to buy is over time, the appreciation plus locked in payment looks better over time, frankly that time horizon is about 5 years on average right now, if you expect to be in the region for the next 5+ years buy something I’d probably prioritize buying something your comfortable in for the medium term than “cash flow” which your not gonna find regardless with these rates. 

If you can refi out after a few years at little to no cost should rates fall enough to find a better loan, it's good to keep in mind.#2: Residential is (broadly) safer, and retail's sure had its ups and downs over the years.

I bought it for $170K and 2.5 years later its worth $185K.Is it better to keep the rental (as part of my retirement planning) as a long- term investment or should I sell, pay off all consumer debt ($67K) and put the left over cash in IRA, 401K, HYSA?