I guess I'm asking for help essentially 😂Hi Andre, Cleveland is a good rental market, same as Dayton.

I've just been thinking about whether it's wise to self-manage for safety and privacy reasons.

Lack of experience isnt necessarily a problem so long as the competence is clearly there and there are healthy margins of safety in the deal. 

My handy AI Chat says "Gross negligence refers to an act showing a severe and reckless disregard for the lives or safety of another person.

Of course if there is a large wasp nest or some safety issue, you should get that taken care of as soon as possible.

Your best move here is to treat it as a health and safety concern, not a landlord-tenant issue.You should probably contact Adult Protective Services (APS) — they’re set up for exactly this kind of case: elderly people with no nearby family, declining health, and possibly living in unsafe conditions.

Because once the HOA tries to claim from the surplus, they’re essentially saying: “We’re a junior lienholder and subordinate to the mortgage.”That’s risky for them, they could be behind others in the queue and get nothing.Instead, HOAs usually prefer to go after you, the new owner, because the lien survives the foreclosure and attaches to the property.

Quote from @Stacy Raskin: DSCR must be rent ready or rather when the appraiser does the appraisal he must mark the box that says "as is" and not "subject to" which means that there is no work needed that is health and safety related.

Just make sure it’s titled in both your names if you both go on the loan.Option 3: Use Cash — Least Risk, Least LeverageUsing your HYSA/CDs can make the deal stress-free and get you better pricing with sellers (cash closes move fast)But: It kills your liquidity and limits scalabilityIn an inflationary market, your cash is losing purchasing power unless it's working for youA smart hybrid: Use cash for down payment + closing, finance the rest with a loan (conventional or DSCR), and keep the HELOC untouched as a backup reserve or for rehab funds.My Recommendation: The “Hybrid Stack”Based on your situation, here’s a strong game plan:Use the HELOC for the down payment (this lets your cash stay liquid and interest-only eases the early cash flow drag)Finance the rest with a conventional loan (fixed rate, long-term hold benefits)Keep your cash reserve as a safety net for capex, vacancy, or a second dealThis gives you:Flexibility (via HELOC)Stability (via 30-year mortgage)Liquidity (keep your cash!)

They are essentially borrowing against your brokerage accounts.