It is very helpful to me to see the second opinions here. Yes I have been helping my mom because she is my mom. Given that I will always help her, I want to find a way that will yield the best (or least negative) outcome for both me and her.

Her current mortgage is only about $600 a month. My car loan is $1000. With my car loan I already pre-qual for enough to buy a house I want in San Diego. When my car loan goes away and I take over her mortgage, I’m actually having a lower debt. So I assume I will still qualify for the same loan amount here. What am I missing? The GA house is far from under water.