You could also qualify if you spend more time on the property than anyone else involved, regardless of hitting 100 hours.Ex. managing contractors, handling bookings, setting up the property, or dealing with guest communications, you might meet the material participation requirement without needing to track 100 hours.The key is to document everything.

It's not a common thing that people go through when a tornado hits your house unexpectantly and having to do a total renovation.

Do not chase a deal just because you are trying to hit your 4-6 properties, rather be strict and only pursue deals that will work.Regarding where to start, since you said you currently live in an apartment, I would think house hacking might be a great option.

Feel free to hit me up if you are willing to share any of your time. 

When you do ceilings you only have to paper/ plastic the light fixtures and maybe some smoke alarms, you can hang plastic over windows, but the paint is usually dry before it hits them and wipes off easily.

I've been flipping houses and investing in multi-family properties for several years now, but I've hit a bit of a snag recently.

Perhaps you have to leave some of your money in the deal, but if you hit it correct and the neighborhood appreciates you will do quite well.

That’s a pure cash flow play - monthly interest payments hitting your bank account is a great feeling!

Regardless, you could hit up your local REIA and get the word out to local agents and wholesalers and start getting on their buyer lists.

However, I’m hitting a roadblock with traditional lenders, as my loan-to-value ratio (LTV) isn’t matching their criteria.