I work on the east side and most of my investing is on the east side but I live further south on the west side now so I'm all over the place (: I do prefer the east side though. 

Any tips or advice on getting started in the DC would be amazing.

**TLDR:** Tips/Recommendations for single person on a wanting to buy their first house in DFW?

I really want to start talking and getting tips on what I should be doing for a tax strategy. 

Generally, I highly recommend using the awesome tools provided here on BP.A few more tips to get started: Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area.Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you.Read Beginner’s Guide.Check out BP Podcasts.Find upcoming real estate events and meetups near you.Upgrade your membership to search for members near you to meet on- or offline.

You can reach out to me as well with any further questions since I am local to Charlotte and a specialized lender for RE investors. 

It looks like they will either take at least part of our yard or the whole house.Our lot is .83/acre so I asked at the open house in December if we could move our house further into into lot.

And complain to the post office as well - they might have some useful tips they can share also. 

Further, I think you're saying the original owner also signed a modification raising the 1st mortgage balance without any notice to you, adding $25,000 to the cost you'll have to cover to obtain the home yourself in foreclosure? 

Depending on what you are looking to accomplish long-term, any of the three options you laid out could make sense (as well as possibly others you didn't mention).I will shoot you a PM in case you'd like to discuss your options a bit further.