Personally, I prefer purchasing a property that is not new construction.

One maintenance person can stop by 4 properties in one day to take care of issues.

My personal favorite is "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer Strauss.

Reasonable accommodation does not extend to allowing safety issues to go unresolved or personal property to be damaged. 

So if I buy a replacement property worth $500k, can I use proceeds from the personal residence half to cover the other $150k?

I currently reside in a higher-end condo in Orlando, Florida, and obtaining a mortgage with a sub 3% interest rate was crucial for making it a feasible investment.Allow me to share a personal anecdote that sheds light on the condo buying experience.

My most gracious analysis would be this (and this is just me): (1) I think the owner is a very kind man - I’ve talked with him personally.

In other words, the person with the most toys, wins... not the person who paid the least amount of tax.

Echoing what Nathan said-make sure you compare the scope of work both are planning on doing and vet your person.

This just depends on you personally.