But to date, I've just set my rents at a rate that accounts for me having to pay the water bill - and informed the residents that each year I'll increase the rent based upon my expenses (including water), so keeping the bill down helps me to help them.But one problem this could cause is if increasing the rent to cover the water bill then places your rent above the market rate.

Since you're focusing on Dayton and Cincinnati, you'll find plenty of opportunities in those markets.

Quote from @Kaleb Johnson: The issue is that you cant cold call people in New York  You cant cold call but you can definitely do SMS marketing and find your ideal sellers for wholesaling.

I'm planning on buying a LTR at the moment, likely small multifamily. markets are hard too.

Rich Ng That's good to know, I know people who have had issues in Salem with big differences between market and section 8.

Rental income is considered passive, while stock market capital gains are portfolio income, meaning passive losses from rentals can only offset other passive income, not capital gains.

Quote from @Lee Banks: Hi my name is Lee I'm looking too buy my first rental property and but I feel as if I need a mentor to watch, I still need to learn the basics of real-estate does anyone in New York do programs or mentorships and where would you start if you first started real-estate today  Hello Lee,I'd recommend looking up local meetups here on BP, meetup.com and, eventbrite.You can also call around to speak with RE investors and professionals in your target market to begin making connections.With so much available information online, I'd recommend speaking to a few people and doing independent research before committing to mentorships.

And there are certainly large margins to be made.. the big builders in many markets want lots in real time they look for middle men to bring them to them.. in our Market here in PDX where they are located there are a few of them..

If so, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences regarding the local market, investment opportunities, and overall outlook for the area

Focus on networking with local investors, learning market trends in your new area, and deciding on a strategy that fits your goals.Good luck!