Do not avoid an attorney is my advice.You need to make other friends too, some Realtors (not just one), bankers. mortgage brokers, title people/closing agents, appraisers and in your area, take a building inspector to lunch and pick his brain and a civil engineer.

I would like to take advantage of flip properties to feed my buy and hold engine but not sure if this should be my first course of action.

A garage space would need to be added, because it's only a one car garage.

Throw in a round trip plane ticket, hotel, rental car, food, etc. and it doesn't take long before a short trip can cost you $2K if you're going back east.  

Everybody has cars and parking can be an issue.One of the plans I worked on was for 17 new houses in my back yard.

Better know who controls the water, corps of engineers, utility owned, state dept, and easement restrictions.Sounds like a HOA with home lots not a condo of attached units, so it's not a condo if your house is the only one standing.There is a process to un-incorporate the HOA and plat.Hard to follow your :-: short cuts, can you get to a keyboard?

If she is working 2 jobs, where's her money going - sounds awful and some of you will slam me for it but I bet she's got a nice car and a better tv than you do.

The home is a 3br, 2ba, 1250 sqft, 2 car garage, built in 1984.

During the summer, this isn't such a concern as there is a one car garage and space for one car in front of garage, too.

I think what you'd find easier in this scenario is instead of the extra accounting ect with paying yourself, just keep a little notebook in the car and jot down the time spent working on each property.