In the end, a lot of things worked in my favor, and perfect timing in the market that I can't attribute to anything more than luck, but it really gave me the confidence to move foreword.

I'm still in favor of you looking into doing a deed in lieu.

@Dan Favor - I'm a combo investor/Realtor in small-town, rural TN.

Rent, deposit, Section 8 yes/no, min income, pets, smoking, $$$ required to move in, no evictions/felonies, favorable references, etc.The less mindless phone calls I can field, the better.

I know that Im not doing myself any favors by renting, know I have to buy.

I am seeking information of cities and towns in MA that are more favorable and show more upside for buying and renting out the properties.

Showing the lender what kind of shape the home is in would be a big momentum shift in your favor.

The location is good and in my opinion improving, so I think that if financed favorably I would be betting on long term appreciation.

Say the rental properties are all under my name personally, (no LLC set up).If something happens and the tenant sues, and the court rules in the tenant's favor, will my husband be liable in any way?

Thanks in advance for your help - this is an extremely frustrating situation and a huge reminder that doing favors for people in real estate is very often not the smart way to go.Cheers,Kathlyn