We were thinking about flipping houses, but we now I'm thinking about the possibility/option of buying a house, fixing it up while living there and selling it after 2 yrs in order to have tax free gains.Can anyone give me any guidance of this option?

For a larger and more valuable house, the couple grand may be worth it, but maybe consider furniture rental places!

If a deal can't get past your initial screening, why would you commit your valuable time and effort into performing a full analysis?

Thank you for any guidance!

I am sure you learned something from the deals that did not pan out and that is very valuable education!

I have a potential 9 unit in the works and was curious if anyone has any advice or guidance on how to obtain a HUD contract or if anyone who has history with section 8, to share some  of their experiences/thoughts/advice . 

Also thank you for the assistance again your post has given me a lot of valuable information @John Burton I am looking to buying in areas closer to providence such as Cranston , East Providence, and Johnston.

So even with principle reduction after 1 year is the note more valuable?

If the lender ordering the appraisal has direct contact, they may say "I'm looking for about $X"  or "I think this property is more/less valuable than most in the area".  

I will be pursing this a full time endeavor.Currently I have no personal real estate experience, however, I am reading every book/blog I can find and very actively seeking as much knowledge as I can through other's experiences.A little info on my current situation and a request for some guidance from those of you who can offer a little direction for starting out here...I'm 25 years old and I'm an officer in the Marine Corps.