However, can you buy real estate without using any of your own money?

Hi everyone,I am an out of town Michigan alum that's contemplating buying a SFR/Duplex as an real estate investment in Ann Arbor, preferably close to central campus and/or close to one of the University bus stops. 

I am glad you highlighted the management piece as this is a crucial part of buying in another market.Excited that you are stabilized and are generating cash flow on that deal. 

@Benjamin Seibert were you looking to flip or buy and hold?

Once you have done it in your own backyard and know the demand of owning RE, you will be much more ready to buy out of state.

Buying a turn key rental, in an area you know or knew well, with a property manager you've met and trust, in an area that is large enough for you to have other options to find contractors and property managers? 

Prohibiting a landlord from using criminal history prior to a conditional offer.We're seriously considering selling and buying in another state.

@Dennis Bragg, how did you factor improvements and market appreciation into the buy-back price?

It assumes the property is Class A - which not a lot of investors are acquiring these days.Here's some copy & paste info about property classes:_____________________________________________________________________________Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Imagine making millions of dollars over the course of your career and then having to pay 30-50% every year to uncle sam instead of compounding that cash over time.This is exactly what real estate professionals have learned to mitigate.To reduce their taxable income, they just buy a building every year, do a cost seg, and use depreciation to reduce their tax liability dramatically.Their personal wealth snowball grows much larger and much faster than their W2 counterparts who give most of their money back to the government each year.Following this strategy as a real estate professional is one of best ways to end up with a much larger net worth at the end of your career.