Really feel like this gives us the opportunity to expand our investment by keeping our current home and build equity in the rehab home without burning on an apartment in the transition. 

If the house burns down you are out the income and you cannot sell it so would be a total loss. 

They have had it fixed but the same letters keep burning out.

But we did leave with open eyes and a fire for real estate investing.....and it's still burning. 

Trying to figure out how long I will be burning cash until I am break even and how much I should budget for lead generation.

Day two, remove and burn yard sign.

Great advice in many posts above, so I won't rehash them.When I bought my first multi, my wife warned me if I crashed and burned she was taking the kids and leaving (no joke-she would).

Hello @Leonard Burns, welcome to BiggerPockets!

@Sunny Burns I don't have a contractor recommendation but I'd like to pick your brain on your Garfield property.

A tenant should be able to normalize the rent within 2 months if they can truly afford the increase, otherwise they'll just be burning through savings to pay it until that runs out and you then have an eviction case on your hands.