The investing life before Jake was difficult, lonely, stressful, overwhelming at times.

Could I live in the place during this time if it’s rented to someone in the family and they allow me to live there?

The site timed me out and I would have to sign up with the Realty company. 

The owner had been living in these conditions for a long time due to mental health issues.It was heartbreaking to see.We agreed on a price and closed very quickly to provide relief.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

As long as you are able to prove its not a "true log cabin" you should be fine.Materials listed, it looks like that may be one that just resembles, but be sure to ask your agent first, or the seller before you spend time and $ on it. 

I take a few real estate classes and pay memberships to a few real estate groups, can I write them off only if I have an LLC, or can I do it personally?

I self manage while traveling full time all over the US.

Since that time, state laws have been amended to allow for home equity loans, but the laws include strong protections for consumers.

@Kyle Rucker- thanks ....you will have a tough time locating a 2nd loan for  180K +  ....Ask the realtor you are working with for options ...Make sure that the lender holding the FHA loan will be able to approve your assumption  request  ( this can be a long drawn out step ) .....if you do find a 2nd mtg - compare the fha loan and 2nd mtg  to a  simple new FHA or conventional loan as there may not be a large difference