One thing I wish I knew before my first deal was the importance of budgeting for long-term maintenance and unexpected expenses—it can make or break your cash flow.

We both have made compromises along the way.I think that’s completely right and one of the reasons you hear the horror stories about these things going sideways (there’s no established timeline for exit), it literally just goes until something breaks. figuring out the ownership structure, and thus the use/access, as well as the exit feels like the two biggest items to get extreme clarity around. 

I'd ensure that you can at least break even or have a different exit plan if that 5K goes away. 

If its an exceptional tenant you may want to give them a slight break.

You’re not alone in that.Let’s break down a couple of things:Your Home: Renting it out could generate cash flow, or selling might give you funds to reset.

Will require 20-25% down and can break even after expenses (management, PITI, maintenance)NE Philly, bucks county, Montgomery county have solid mulit families that work the best as LTR from what I am seeing.

Probably smart to take a break a couple of years of this market, I think you are coming back at exactly the right time - on the cusp of the next boom market

A good PM in Detroit can make or break your investment here, especially if you’re not local.If you're looking for some more in-depth resources about the market shoot me a note.

That could help you break even and get closer to buying another one!

Give me a break.