Naturally, everybody looked at me like "what the hell is this?"

So I require skin in the game (average is 5% to 15%) to offset this.

I was involved in wholesaling business long time ago (not real estate but consumer goods), and it has taught me A LOT about human nature.

My partner and I now find ourselves in a strong financial position to start our RE investing journey and have set our sights in New England, specifically Rhode Island due to the excellent natural environment and our desire to ultimately relocate there long-term. 

G’Day BP folks,A fellow Toledo investor started a Facebook group revealing all local scammers.Mostly contractors.10+ years of investing in Toledo and stopped counting at $1m in losses.It’s just the nature of the beast and the cost of doing business in my eyes.Unfortunately, Toledo is notorious for bad operators and poor quality of workmanship in many industries.Maybe this group will help you not loose the same amount of cheese that I did $$$You’re welcome 😇 https://facebook.com/groups/786864700099337/

I suggest an aggressive principal pay down so they can have skin in the game.

(Fortunately, we were insured)Emergency Fund: Always have extra cash for unexpected events.Tenant Support: Keep good communication and support your tenants through tough times.Final ThoughtsThis July 4th was a disaster, but it’s also a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of real estate investing.

You won't learn a ton, but you will have skin in the game, and you will see how the business actually works.If not, then you need to learn the business before selecting markets from afar.

This is dependent on the city's long-term economic growth.Natural disaster risk: Certain locations are more prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, and floods.

I understand the capital region, the Adirondack region, and Western New York (Rochester and Buffalo) have their strengths and weaknesses, but I'm going to focus on this central part of the state.Binghamton is my favorite investment market for a few reasons, but it's not for everyone.STRENGTHS-  low prices-  blue collar overall, meaning lots of resources for contractors-  growing university, consistently growing rents-  I expect to see an actual 10% cap rate here, higher if the property needs work-  compared to downstate, permitting, evictions, etc. are simple and quick-  no code compliance inspections required on existing multifamiliesWEAKNESSES-  no. natural. appreciation.