A property with negative cash flow at purchase can be a good investment.  

Quote from @David B Graham: Investment Info:Small multi-family (2-4 units) buy & hold investment.

The deal has to make sense and you really need to know the comps to make sure your investment is going to actually make money.

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.2.

Quote from @Joe Gellenbeck: Hi All,I am new to this community and real estate investing in general, but I'm excited to jump in.

Investment Info:Small multi-family (2-4 units) other investment in Martins Ferry.

Does anyone have a suggestion for an app I could use when visiting houses so I could just bring along an iPad and jot down details/notes when I walk through the house and keep track of all the properties I've visited?

Assuming you have access to MLS (Multiple Listing Service, a place for agents to list deals).1) Look for deals that look like investor-type of deals (e.g. low purchase price, ugly houses, or sometimes MLS will even say what type of financing it is)2) If the buyer's info is there, voila.  3) Otherwise, contact the realtor to look for leads (that will be more of a uphill battle, but you never know...)

Quote from @Stuart Udis: Sometimes the best real estate investments are investments you don’t make.

We rarely have issues, but it seems like such a small investment in time and money to take one day to verify.