Hi Joshua, the amount of down payment also changes with the cost of the property, so starting with a less expensive property may be smart (for multiple reasons).

I have been in property management for 20 years, almost 3 years ago I moved to Birmingham AL to start my investment journey.

Or what are other tips to start gaining traction from the beginning? 

Quote from @Surya S Kumaresan: Hello Folks,Hope 2025 is off to a great start for you all!

I would suggest a good PM to start if you don't have a solid background in hospitality or at least something in the service industry.Self-managing can save a ton of money if you know what you are doing. 

I am just starting out and have 1 STR.Would love hear the pros/cons that you took into consideration when deciding how you want to manage your STR.

Quote from @Alex Spivey: I want to start renting as soon as I can so does anyone have adviceYou want to find a place to rent and occupy, or you want to buy an investment that you can rent to others?

Hi Drake,You are in the right space to get started, so congrats on taking the first step.

Im now starting to doubt wether or not Cleveland is actually a good market to invest in?

cIn other words, I do understand when the realtor fee for a 400k is $20k. but when I sell a home for 2.2M and I pay a realtor $110k things start to not make sense.