I don't even have my personal home out in the wide open for everyone to know what I own!

My strategy and experience has been that if I buy right under those conditions, even a couple of those properties will make me better off by a wide margin then I would have been with social security.i should add though, I'm a full time w2 employee with other retirement funds. 

Just go in eyes wide open to the risk of the market.

As is typical of nationwide statistics, the totals disguise wide differences in local markets.

Start with a smaller project on my own (300-400 total cost with 450-500 ARV)- I would need to learn new markets and manage the risk of rehab on my own (I can borrow my friends contractor so this may not be as bad of an issue) - There's more competition at that price point- I would be able to start and finish quicker (hopefully) and get actual flip experience under my beltI'm currently casting a wide net for deals at both price points and I'm very eager to get started (I've committed to doing real estate full time).

If you have 100k, it is more wide open, but then again even with 100k - how much would you want to put in play in one deal? 

Most of my properties are in 38111, but there's a wide range there - I focus on the Sherwood Forest and Normal Station neighborhoods, but I live close to there, there's some adjacent areas that are worth keeping an eye on.

If the Fed lowers rates, as widely anticipated, in 3 times 2024, by 25 bps each, perhaps with one 50 bps decrease if we are being optimistic, the federal funds rate will drop to 4.3%-4.6%. 

There is a shortage of tradesmen in my area and nation wide... and that's only going to increase as most reports show for every 100 tradesmen retiring there's only 20-30 entering the field.

I am wide open to advice on renting in this area.