I reside in Newark NJ and I don't mind driving 1 hour for a potential deal if the flip make sense, I'm open to multiple locations because I want to use this experience more as education to keep playing the game longer.I also would like to know the community thoughts on New Jersey "possibly" being to overpriced is it to early to see how this wave of evictions will affect the market or covid hasn't made it's impact on the real estate market yet?

Consider how long you plan on being overseas and see if that impacts the path you want to take. 

You can make a huge impact on an investor by spending time in their circle and doing the work that helps them get to the next level.

What is the single most impactful value-add item I could invest in that would positively impact rents?

I'm looking in South Lake Tahoe (CA) and Stateline (NV) area that are VHR (vacation home rental) eligible to live in and house hack, then use as rental property if I have to come back to CA for work.Question is, would there be a great impact if I bought property in Stateline, NV instead of South Lake Tahoe, CA?

I'm looking in South Lake Tahoe (CA) and Stateline (NV) area that are VHR (vacation home rental) eligible to live in and house hack, then use as rental property if I have to come back to CA for work.Question is, would there be a great impact if I bought property in Stateline, NV instead of South Lake Tahoe, CA?

Typically a second with negative equity only gets 5-10% of UPB.One of the keys to a short sale is anticipating this, and having the buyer agree up front that they may have to kick in another $5k-$10k above the purchase price to help satisfy the difference in what the first is willing to give the second verses what the second demands.Also, shorting one of the loans has the same negative impact on the seller as shorting both.If you DO ending up booting the first buyer (I never did, I worked them to the end) your other buyer should have an offer of $235k (not $245k) and be willing to pay up to the other $10k toward the second, assuming that is the problem.  

I have engaged in gathering information from one of the vendors listed on Fannie Mae’s website but this is new territory for me and I would like to hear from others who have successfully navigated this process.Specifically, what surprised you about the process and were there anything you wish you had known about upfront that would have impacted your decisions about using this financing option?

One potential renter is a highly educated social worker who was recently impacted by a COVID-19 related layoff.

She brought up good points such as the industry of the potential tenant, and the risks that their job would be negatively impacted by a second wave a covid, work history, rental payment history, etc.