Where to begin?

[Jake Allen Hattock]

I am a full time civil engineer in the Kansas City metro area and trying to become a real estate investor. I would like to have buy and hold rentals for a passive income. I am wondering on where to start? Create/ start an LLC even though I am only looking for a few rentals ( less than 5) to began my career in this field? What price range is a good starting point I don't want to start to low and be trapped for maintenance repairs and such but don't want to overwhelm myself with debt to begin?

[Mike D'Arrigo]

@Jake Allen HattockYou're fortunate that you can invest right in your own back yard. Personally, I don't recommend investing in cheap properties in rough areas. They rarely perform well. Personally, I recommend sticking to B class properties or maybe C class. I would stay out of the inner city. You'll need to decide if you want to buy turn key where everything is all done for you or if you want to do the rehab yourself. Be careful of so called turn keys off the MLS. Just because it has a tenant in place doesn't mean it's a turn key. As far as creating an LLC, this depends on if you plan to finance. Conventional lender won't lend in an LLC so you'll have to buy in your personal name. I know Kansas City well. Let me know if I can help.

As far as how to get started you