I am currently based in Canada and am looking to embark on my real estate investment journey in the United States, specifically focusing on multifamily properties. 

We've invested around $50,000 in improvements (central air and hardscaping) and our mortgage is a 30-year fixed at 2.5%, with a PITI of $2400.We think it could rent for $3,750 - $4,000 per month based on local comps.

The cash flow that you need to achieve should be based off the rest of your portfolio and your financial situation as a whole.

Hey Jon would recommend checking out FB groups if you aren't local (looks like you're based in the Bay).

I'm sure it was highway robbery - it certainly was based on the man-hours it took - but when you are in a desperate situation, you do what you have to do to get yourself out of it.  

I would recommend you begin researching Chicago based meetups as there are a bunch of really good ones.

This plays into the affordability issues for tenants by allowing them to live in nicer neighborhoods for less money, yet I get monthly revenue comparable to short-term rentals.I have also shifted my focus to buying better.

Compounding on one another sure that will have a big impact on the market but there are a lot of factors at play.

Social Security also has a consent based ssn verification process where a SSN can be verified with the parties consent.Again, we can never be 100% full proof but we can stay on top of the latest ways to mitigate the fraudsters at their game.How are you catching fakes?

Generally yes a HELOC will go off your personal finances so qualifying is generally based on your income, liabilities, and credit.