Quote from @Gregory R Ley: Can I impose a fine now if it is not in the current lease agreement? 

Make sure you get that landlord info of the housing before the one they are in now.

Some limit rentals to 1% of the homes, so if you are lucky to get in now and there's a waiting list, you might not be lucky to rent the next time if there is list. 

Why is the rent so suppressed for all those units right now?

We learned a lot from this project.Looking back, if I knew then what I know now, I would have handled it differently.

You might find someone in your network who’s ready to sell a property, or someone who has advice specific to your market.Real estate investing is a journey of learning and growth.

I wouldn't touch anything outside the urban core. if your strategy is to buy existing and old I'd recommend not to. as a newer investor depending on your liquidity look at build to rent development. building investment properties below market value by 25% and refinancing out of it to do it again. the urban core has tax abatements as well that are 15 years right now you can apply for. that means that taxes will be around $600 to $800 per year. there's cash Flow but the existing inventory market dried up a few years ago in the urban core. local realtors are going to push you to the trash areas like hilltop, south linden, etc because it's the only place numbers work. columbus is great, but remember a tenant who pays $1800 a month is different than a tenant who pays $900 a month. let me know if I can help any other way! 

I’m at the very beginning of my REI journey and I would love some guidance on how I can best optimize my planning, research and saving phase (which I’m dedicating 2025 to).

Most rental properties around that area have the appliances added in the property (except Washer/Dryer, now that can be up to you).

Life Changing is my go to now as their owners and 5 of their loan officers have even joined my group.