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But the answer for everyone may differ.Here are the personal attributes I see in those able to achieve a higher than market ROI, enough higher to be able to “scale”.1- Knowledge of real estate principles, real estate law and real estate finance2- Minimum 3 -5 years full time, or near full time experience directly related to real estate investing3- Ability to utilize technology for increased efficiency, capacity, and accuracy4- Excellent hired legal counsel and excellent hired marketing help5- Established method(s) of obtaining consistently high QUALITY deal flow6- Ability to manage and choose people who are NOT employees: Attorneys, Appraisers, Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Brokers, Title Companies, Surveyors, Marketing Specialists, Accountants, Contractors, Consultants, Property Managers7- A VERIFIABLE track record of success8- Ability to identify, analyze, and negotiate a deal that can be “worked” for “enhanced” ROI9- Some type of competitive advantage; for example for me it’s my ability to analyze and identify mortgage loans that are actually less risky than all other lenders believe (on the investing in debt side), and on the real property side it’s my ability to analyze”pull the trigger” with LESS information than other investors need,  combined with the ability to pay cash, or raise significant capital almost instantly as well as being able to obtain loans at the lowest prime customer bank rate with no recourse or personal liability.  

In particular, the ability to auto-sync and categorize bank transactions (similar to Stessa), easily track expenses against budgets, and streamline lease creation with lease templates is quite nice.

The ability to get funding in just a few days can make a world of difference, allowing investors to act quickly and lock in the best opportunities.I’m curious, in your experience, what strategies have you found most effective for building strong relationships with reliable direct lenders?

@Chris Ke With $200K for a down payment and the ability to invest full-time, consider starting with a 4-plex or multiple single-family homes (SFHs) within a 5-hour drive of Los Angeles in areas like San Bernardino or Riverside.

It seems you and your husband have the ability to make a property more desirable and I would try to stay local for the same reasons you listed. 

Credit is also going to hinder your ability to get a heloc, and lack of income for now. 

Not every real estate agent is an investor, and not every agent focuses on 1-4 unit properties, let alone has the ability to purchase them.

I'm investing mainly for cash flow and the ability to have a home base when we come visit and possibly will turn into longer term stays in Japan in the future.

I haven't heard of the ability to add additional $250k primaries, but I'll have to dig in to try to learn more about that!