It's funny, I've grown up in REI all my life, and in a way that lead to me not appreciating the value of it as a business; but after 5 years of startup/corporate life my eyes finally opened to how powerful it is, thanks to my friend, @Ryan Mapes. 

I went back to my spread sheet and came up with the final offer of $28,600.00 which they took.

-Buy and hold-Either families or students-Take it slow on rehab-Partner up with my friendLet me try to reason my choices. 

and why i don't agree with those that say a personal home is  a liability.. those liabilities have made me more than 2 mil in tax free gains since i bought my first house in Milpitas in 1978.. for 81k.. and it was new construction Shapell home which bay area folks know they build a nice home.but I like many others have my frugal peccadilloes  i was tearing paper towels in half before they finally got smart and perforated them that way..

Because I am not a real estate expert, I would just like to make sure I've researched the pros/cons of selling or holding onto the property before moving forward with a final plan.

I'm finally in a position to make this happen this year.

The best thing you can do is submit your actual, 100% best and final offer with your best and final set of contingencys.I was in the central CT market a year and a half ago and a lot of houses asked for B&F and went over asking.

Be sure to check your rental agreement which may require that your notice to end the tenancy be given on the first of the month or on another specific date.In some situations, you may be able to move out with less (or no) notice—for example, if your landlord seriously violates the rental agreement or fails to fulfill legal responsibilities affecting your health or safety.Secondly serve the 3 day notice.Serve the notice as follows:The Notice to Vacate must be in writing, and include the following information: date the notice was served on the tenant(s)name(s) and address of tenant(s) rental unitthe reason for the notice (that the tenant failed to pay rent for a specified period of time)a statement that the tenant has three days to move out, including the final date and time by which the tenant must be out of the propertyan ultimatum that the landlord may pursue legal action (an eviction lawsuit) if the tenant does not move, anda statement specifying how the notice was given to the tenant, either by actually giving the notice to the tenant or mailing the notice

So any career choice that will allow you to hone those skills is where I would focus.Buy right:NegotiationUnderwritingMarket analysiscommercial broker officeFinance right:Mortgage brokerbanking loan officerRaising capitalCreative financingTitle office (they see how all the deals are structured)Manage right:Property managementImplementing systemssolving problemsYou can never go wrong with sales.

Finally, with the use of Trusts while establishing these structures you can add a level of anonymity by removing your name from public record.When I work with my clients to discuss asset protection I navigate with them through: the size of their portfolio, their level of exposure and their future goals.