Wasn’t at my house.  

I'd also talk to the water provider and find out if the bill follows the tenant or stays with the house (where I am it is the later for water and former for everything else). 

. - We have lived in the house more than two years

There are some that can walk into a house and right away determine how to fix it in such a way as to create, light,space and potentially add value. 

The housing market is pretty crazy here with a ton of people moving here from out of state.

You'll naturally meet  people who want to get rid of their headache, I mean house, that they inherited. 

I am thinking I will start by targeting Arnold/Imperial and work out from there if necessary, probably west toward Murphy/High Ridge/House Springs before moving south.

As Dave ramsey recommends of not taking on a house mortgage thats more than 25% of your monthly take home pay.

Has anyone else started making the jump form renovating houses to building them new?

I have been volunteering with local Habitat for Humanity groups to learn how to renovate houses, and currently looking for my first house hack or flip in the southeastern MA area (have been looking at areas such as Barnstable, Plymouth, and Bristol counties).