Building a solid team is a smart priority, as real estate investing is much more efficient when you have a trusted group of professionals→ agents, contractors, lenders, who understand your goals and the local market.Your plan to own four long-term rentals in the next four years is both realistic and attainable, especially with the type of property you're targeting.

They will generally put the name of the company on there and you can use that as a target list and start dialing for dollars. 

I know the quality of the home and neighborhood won't be the same in California, but because I'm targeting buy and hold, I just need a property with okay or decent rental yields.

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

I thought I had to be in an area "where renters live" LOL - today we target areas with as few renters as possible3.)

What areas have you been targeting?

My target markets are NY and CT, but I’m definitely open to expanding my horizons.Since most friends and family members are hesitant about real estate investing, I'm on the lookout for a mentor who can guide me through this journey and potentially partner with me along the way.If you have any advice or know someone who might be willing to help me get started, please let me know!

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

Acquisition Criteria: Develop clear criteria for the types of properties you target (location, price range, property type, etc.), allowing you to evaluate deals faster and more consistently.

I'd also target markets with good population growth & economic drivers that are helping the market progress.