Hi Radhika-Congratulations on being a homemaker with young kids and looking to do more for the family financially now that the kids are older.You have 50K to get started but are having difficulty choosing markets and deciding where to begin and you are thinking about single-family long-term rentals out of state because you live in California.I would encourage you to start with duplexes, preferably with 2 bedrooms in each unit for tenant longevity, and ideally with separate utilities.

I drove to the house, explained the situation to the tenants, and emphasized that we needed to locate the leak.When the utility worker arrived, he wasn’t in the best mood.

By utilizing one provider for both services, both can be aligned, customized to your portfolio’s needs which should achieve a better outcome overall.Real estate investing can be very complex and navigating taxes, compliance and insurance can be overwhelming and complex, deterring some people from expanding their portfolio or from investing at all.

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

Tim, in lieu of a damage deposit, have you utilized A deposit insurance such as Rhino? 

Research local market rates to set competitive rents, and consider offering utilities or furnishings to attract tenants.

Miners will liquidate assets, cancel lease contracts and default on utility bills. 

A non-performing note is unlikely to produce cash flow but profit can be harvested from enough protective equity.

FHA-Owner Occupancy Loan, to limit down payment to be able to utilize for maintenance

If you’re looking for a cash out refinance utilizing a conventional type of loan then you can certainly pay off personal debt.