If she's debt adverse you can put larger down payments, have higher cash reserves and take the conservative route.

Since we want to be conservative with our underwriting, we found the county’s Property Tax Estimator tool: https://cuyahogacounty.gov/fiscal-officer/departments/budget...Our current thought process:-Look up the correct tax district and current value from county records-Enter the property’s purchase price as the new market value in the estimator-Use the 2026 estimated tax amount for deal analysis, since that’s likely closer to where taxes will eventually adjustFor those of you investing in Cleveland:-Does this approach make sense?

Start with one solid deal, learn the tenant laws, run conservative projections, and don’t overthink the research.

The biggest mistake most beginners make is chasing funding before they have a deal worth funding.Keep your criteria tight, run your numbers conservatively, and build a small circle of people you can learn from.

Some lenders absolutely require interior access, but there are lenders who can work off exterior condition, past MLS data, public records, and conservative assumptions, especially when access isn’t legally permitted yet

Keep leverage conservative, insist on tight buy numbers with verified ARV from sold comps, and pad for carry, interest-only, and overruns.

Budget conservatively, and always add a buffer for surprises.Get referrals for your contractor and build your team early: agent, GC, lender, and possibly a project manager if your brother can’t be full-time on-site.Feel free to reach out if you need any help.

Carefully run your numbers in advance and be conservative...

Robert, great goals—here’s a clean path: master one BRRRR-friendly submarket in central PA first with a tight buy box and conservative ARV/rehab so you can prove your model and build a track record you can take to bigger deals.

Practical path: confirm rules with the custodian, price the deal with conservative leverage, get term sheets from lenders who specialize in nonrecourse to retirement accounts, and decide if lending your SD funds to an unrelated investor is cleaner for your first move.