I have had to truly suck up my principal which has been hard and one day I might but starting out you know that it is just survival mode so you can afford to grow more and ten years in be able to be more picky if choose to change routes. 

I'm looking to purchase a 2-4 unit in northern Illinois, the Freeport area seems to have tons of affordable inventory.

They'll have to find a home they can afford, and then one that meets the guidelines (needs to be in good condition.) 

You don't give any indication of what you can afford, so it's hard to give you much more advice than that.When asking for directions, it helps to know where you are at and what mode of transportation you are using (foot, bicycle, Ford F-350, Porsche 911, etc.), and where you want to end up.

The cost of living in here is more affordable compared to other major metro areas.

I'm not saying they shouldn't, I just can't afford to leave that money on the table if I'm not making more than that somewhere else. 

It sounds like this might have been some sort of "creative financing" scenario where the buyer has $0 but is trying to cobble together 3 liens and 8 JV partners to buy something they cant afford.

Been using them for year and they have improved ALOT and are still fairly affordable. 

I think a DST might afford more investment options and flexibility. 

Sometimes, it’s all about finding the right nearby areas that balance cash flow with future appreciation to achieve your goals.Here are a few cities (there are more) just outside Atlanta that have strong RTP ratios and more affordable entry points, I suggest looking into:East Point, GA College Park, GA Douglasville, GA Lithonia, GA If you’re interested in any of these areas, feel free to DM me!