If the answer is yes, then it's a no brainer to make minimum payments on your 2.8% interest rate mortgage, and use the funds that you would have paid extra to pay it down faster, to either invest in more real estate, the market, or anywhere else where you can get a ROI > 2.8%.If the answer is no, then feel free to aggressively pay it down as fast as possible, to become debt-free faster, and just have a large amount of money in savings or to splurge with.The bottom line is that your 2.8% mortgage is GOOD debt.

Once you feel comfortable in running your numbers, figure out a good market that has good population & economic growth and landlord friendly laws.

Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

And. if you have a property management question along the way, feel free to reach out to me. 

Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions as well.

Based on the information that you shared, if you haven’t already done so, I recommend connecting with a local expert.

You can check tools like Niche, Roofstock, Zillow, or even just Google Maps can help you get a feel for neighborhoods and properties. 

Additionally, many deals tend to fly under the radar, so networking within organizations like NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers) can help uncover opportunities.If anyone reading this is considering selling their property management company in Texas, feel free to share—I’m genuinely interested in connecting.

Feel free to reach out and we can chat more!

Feel free to reach out though if you have specific questions, it is fairly common!