For the record though, around here (and possibly there too) the owner can do pretty much all the work on their own property without a license.

He has 7 Baby Steps to take control of your money one step at a time.

Our small 2/1 rental is already getting cramped with all the baby stuff and she hasn't even arrived yet!  

I don't have nearly enough regulation and TRID and CFPB in my life as a mortgage lender, and all of you certainly want higher investment property interest rates and more restrictive investment property guidelines, so SANDERS ALL THE WAY BABY!

Yeah baby!

Then again baby steps shall get us there.Going back to this below 200k price range.  

The market maybe cooling a tad on the Midwest, but still strong.If rates move up, then hold on baby!

Option #2 of looking to move to PDX and invest in a property there in the next year is more nebulous at this point due to lacking a financial framework, but it's definitive that we'll have more time and energy to work on renovating whatever property we purchase before a baby is in the picture.

(And I am already swamped) This baby would need a lot of plumbing work as the last tenant left in the middle of winter and turned off utilities. 

I'm currently active military full time, 2 kids (2years old and a "new" baby within next 2 weeks).