You said a baby is coming and your ability to do a lot of OT once it's here may be gone.  

Flipping the "tough" neighborhoods requires some degree of toughness.  

So if you have the ability to have that downpayment money in your bank for enough time to generate 2 statements that won't show that deposit that would be the best method.Feel free to ask more questions if you need but I hope this helps.  

Also relevant (and maybe deserving of its own question) -- my neighbors currently own five of the building's six units, and so I think will have to time the sale so that it happens concurrently with the sale of another unit (I'm foggy on the rules here, but it relates to buyers' abilities to get a mortgage). 

I am currently using the GI Bill attending york tech community college, perusing a business degree.

Figure out a 2 year degree or technical vocation that qualifies for the grant, then pace the money, usually can get 2 classes a semester part time year round, and you can maintain a part time job at least semi-related to your school vocation, plus some employers like to see you are active in education.

(It's how I could afford to pay for my worthless degree while roommates paid my mortgage) Get ahold of me sometime if you'd like to strategize, I'm also in route to getting my real estate license currently.

I am expanding my portfolio of properties into East Tenn.I currently live in Middle Tenn and don't have the ability to be as hands on as I am here.  

SF will provide with a good life but MF has the ability to create life changing wealth.MF is hard in it's own right as a syndicator but if you are looking to invest passively then the extent of your work is really about finding a syndicator you like and trust and then invest with them as soon as you like one of the deals they present you with.  

Personally as an owner/investor I totally disagree morally/ethically with these HOAs "approving renters" since they can then discriminate arbitrarily and are RARELY held accountable :( HUD/FHA laws basically get at the idea that "Ability to Pay and/or criminal record" are about the only factors that are fair reasons to deny!