I'll also add that guidelines change over time. just because they don't like it now doesnt mean they wont decide later to be okay with it.  

I have a tenant in one of my units who has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Since you're open to markets beyond NYC, you might want to connect with local investor meetups or REI groups in those areas to build relationships with agents, wholesalers, and lenders who understand the nuances of each market.If you're looking to break out of analysis paralysis, maybe start by narrowing down one or two target markets and running numbers on actual deals.

Sometimes these purchases, or refinances take 2 times the length you would think, and sometimes 3-4 times.

If your goal is to maximize cash flow, look for properties where you can live in one unit and rent the others at market rates.

I fired the PM and hired a much better one, which has been a breath of fresh air.

1) I think it’s “funny” that not one news article I ever read for the last 5 years had headlines like “Housing at historical record lows!

You may just want to put 3% down on your next place and rent out this one.

Money was expensive over there and at the time, I didn't know how to get hard money to do rehabs. 

It means a lot that you took the time to explore our journey and the work we’re doing at Elevate.To answer your question, the biggest game-changer for us early on was strategic networking.