You can also usually count on rents increasing enough in around 5 years, so that you do cashflow.Of course you have to watch out for over-leveraging and going bust!

I am going to be the contrarian on this subject.. 1. the pre license course is valuable as it teach's the vocabulary of real estate and the basic laws of your state.. its dirt cheap and one of the better ways to build your foundation. 2.

@Sunny Wu of course the tenants don't want to pay!

So I say selling is most likely your best course but regardless, to grow your portfolio stop doing 15yr terms. 

Here are some practical tips and insights based on my experience managing a real estate fund and working in this field.First, setting realistic expectations.

I began inviting them to online zoom meetings I would hold with brokers, agents and investors... friends I had made along the way, where we would just talk strategy, loan types, current market trends etc.

Of course, these properties are full of challenges so be prepared before you start. 

From my own personal experience and from others I think most reach the "tipping point" from self managing to using a PM somewhere between 5-15  units, especially if you have a W2 and want to continue to scale. 

The FF rates in my zipcode are higher than I expected and their quality is less than what I'm bringing online! 

I would be happy to connect with other investors in the area to share tips and tricks.