CINCINNATI — Earl Starr is the first to admit he has made plenty of mistakes in his life. But when his son’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, Starr wanted to do things the right way.
He paid $8,200 for a two-family house in Evanston with money he had cashed out from a retirement plan. He could see the place needed work, he said. But he figured he could do most of it himself. The goal was for him and his son to live in half the property and to rent out the other half to generate some income.
“I figured if I didn’t have no mortgage or no rent, it would allow me to live free,” Starr said. “I could pay my gas and electric with the rent from downstairs and save a portion for my taxes. And whatever I made as a barber, I could use for whatever lifestyle