Next time buy in Van Nuys or in and around your local market here in the SFV as the buyers pool is vast and homes even in the bad areas are going for crazy money.

Since the vast majority of people on BP have CoC or cap-rate thresholds it will (almost by definition) push them towards older construction.

Many interesting solutions but bottom line is that the vast majority of all tenant issues are created by one person ....the landlord. 

This money is taken out of a HELOC.2) Get Delayed Financing at 70% purchase + rehab = getting 70% of 70k, or $49k back. 3) Pay that $49k back to the HELOC to vastly reduce that balance.

Welcome to BP where the people are helpful and the knowledge is vast.

There is a cost of entry to obtain your license.....school, exam, licensing, hanging with a broker, MLS fees, lockbox key fees, Realtor association fees, etc.However, the benefits are vast for investors as you get real time access to mls, and access to properties at your convenience with your lockbox key.  

She is open to a "blended situation" whereby as we start to travel, we hand over more and more "ground time" at a vastly reduced rate.

I don't know what they are paying for rent but $290,000 might be a bit steep for them, I have seen this many times where tenants vastly overestimate what they can afford and think they can buy the house where they are renting. 

Barry Ratliff this is an interesting concept that will have a wide array of answers.

Fret not, you are probably one of the vast majority of REI's.Before you can decide what to do next, you must establish a set of financial goals.