Cushion for rental overhead

[Michael Bacile]

Hey guys I’m hoping this post is in an accurate forum. Here’s another newbie question.

I have a question about how y’all cover the mortgage for multiple properties. My job is producing about 35k/yr on average. My goal is to own a portfolio of 10-12 rental properties. In my area the mortgage on a home (that has under 20% down payment) is about 1k-1.2k.

How much cushion do you keep on hand to cover potential non paying tenants and basic expenses throughout the year? I’m on the verge of buying my first property but I’m now saving more for my after purchase cushion. Hope that makes sense, looking forward to the insight!