Or you could add 5% per year to the 160k and give it to your brother when all is said and done.

Sounds like you're already moving in all the right directions. 

I agree with screening the Sec 8 applicant the same as all applicants for good housing history. 

For example, you might choose to take a blanket mortgage covering all properties, BUT perhaps the market softens and later you wish to sell a property.

Thank you all for your great feedback 

At the end of the day I'm ok with taking the slower path of saving up the cash for the down payments and buffer but if there's a quicker way that I'm not aware of I'm open to all options. 

Hello all not sure if this is the right place to post this. but an opportunity fell in my lap.

The prices in the markets we looked at i.e. troy, Schenectady and Albany all had great prices and rents were inline but kept coming back to "what if the tenant doesn't pay". 

It's always way better to have cash flow than none at all. 

It is not the politicality of it all with the global warming stuff, that has nothing to do with it.