Closing costs, necessary cash reserves, and the expenses to get a property market ready are more than most first time investors think.I have nothing to sell and would be happy to help if you think that I can be a resource.

FYI - This will be my first investment property.Thank you in advance.

I live in Charleston, SC, and am looking to buy my first property here this year.

I'm in Rogers Park, Chicago. I have several people interested in being my roommate. So far, I have two people who seem they could good tenants. I did find them on Craigslist though.My mom has one property in Romeovill...

Q2 is most important: If the mortgaage is upside down, it would have to be an approved short sale and that could take a very long time to rectify.

It's a local investor meetup that meets on the first Tuesday of every month.

They equate the period leading up to the time its ready to rent as the risky part of the real estate process and pay a premium to bypass that part but this leaves them with unreasonable expectations because the real estate they purchase is inherently risky.

Any advice is welcome.In my opinion, if you can go conventional, most of the time it is a better choice due to the better interest rate and terms.

No one accountant is an expert in all areas in the tax code, so best to figure out what you want first in the world of real estate and then dive deeper there. 

A common strategy I see with diversification exchanges, is that the investor will purchase the first property cash and the second with a mortgage.