And 6-8 months really is really short.To answer how to build up savings faster, once you have banked all of the savings you can possibly reap by lowering your expenses (especially in housing, transportation, food, healthcare, taxes) here are a few ideas:Sell stuff you don't need on Craigslist Find a gig (Uber, Lyft, Task Rabbit, Rover, etc)Get a second job (not fun... but think about it... check out Virtual Vocations, Flexjobs, Werk)Freelance (got a skill you can market on the side?

@Rj De Leon Awesome “food for thought” you bring up and greatly appreciate the advice as I begin my real estate journey in the Chicagoland area!

I also want to give you more food for thought:1) Keep in mind, some deal sponsors are able to utilize an even greater depreciation expense, by  performing a Cost Segregation studies.

Hi Mark,Insurance is a very small component of what you should be looking at with these strip malls.Now I want to make sure when you say strip mall you are talking about small retail strip centers and not an actual mall where people walk inside with shops on each side and a food court.Those are two very different animals.The insurance the expense might vary from what the seller has shown.

I have lived my life working in the food and beverage industry.

Would it be best to have this meet up done at a place that serves food as well or just a regular hall?

I save some much on cleaning products, toiletries, and bulk food that we use frequently.

This is good food for thought.

It's more buying a business.Just like the food business people have an idea in their heads of what something will be.

That is like asking "does food work?"