I truly think I only need 4 more houses to hit my goal and then shift from buying to paying them off.I am not sure if I am thinking about this the right way and I am sure there are things I am not thinking about but below are my thoughts:Pros - I can purchase the houses I need to hit my goal faster - With getting homes fasters the depreciation, tax benefits, amortization, appreciation, rent increases all start sooner - Home prices on average should be lower now then if I buy in 4-5 years - I can take better advantage of leverageCons - I have more risk until I pay the properties off - Less upfront cashflow - Longer timeframe to acquire the properties to reach my goalIf anyone has any opinions or advice I'd love to hear it.

Use tax benefits like depreciation, repair deductions, and tax-free refinance proceeds to offset income, and consider an LLC for liability protection.

So obviously being in foreclosure, absentee owner, tax lien or any of such "distress" doesn't make you motivated.So what you need to ask yourself is "how do these software determine who or what is a motivated seller right?

We did that for about 3 years until Jeff informed me he'd fallen behind on property taxes, and all of his lenders called the loans due.

I understand that I need to account for taxes, insurance, and other costs—Should I go with a LML and then do a refi later on?  

The property tax is higher than other markets, but generally, the numbers still work. 

I’m sure you won’t be verbally assaulted about how greedy you are Basically they were gifted $60-$120k tax free. 

A lot of Chicago workers are moving to this area to escape IL taxes and politics.

For tax purposes, rental income is generally recognized in the year you receive it, not when it is paid.

If you need financial help, ask under the "Finance, Tax, and Legal" forum.