Is it 10  or 15 % downpayment, that is what I wanted to know Is the house in another state that you and your family are planning on utilizing for vacations? 

I've had many clients utilize the rent by room strategy to great success. 

You'll need a reliable network of local professionals (plumbers, electricians, handymen) you can trust.Hiring a Property Manager:Peace of Mind: They handle day-to-day operations, tenant communications, and legal compliance.Local Expertise: They understand the local market trends and rental laws in Colorado Springs.Cost: While there’s a fee, many find it worth the reduction in stress and time commitment.Lessons Learned from ExperienceBuild a Strong Local Team: Even if you manage the property yourself, having a dependable local handyman and a real estate attorney can save you headaches.Leverage Technology: Utilize property management software for rent collection, maintenance requests, and tenant screening.

Hi Rafael,You can start with a SFR or duplex if you'd like to avoid using a property manager, but if you really want to scale up you should be utilizing a property manager.

I also utilize subordination of the mortgage and substitution of collateral where appropriate to create the “enhanced” returns that I seek.  

Whenever I read investor posts about unit count goals and utilizing section 8 rentals as the vehicle to scale a portfolio it loosely translates to buying real estate without paying attention to the fundamentals in the markets where they invest.

Or just used $15k as a downpayment and then had to make a couple months of payments to make the property ready, pay for inspections and repairs, commissions, utilities, advertising, and then it sat empty for a month and you had to make another payment?

The lease termination fee needs to be paid at the time they request this, do not substitute the security deposit for this purpose.This will ensure compensation for time, money and effort needed for a tenant turnover, including advertising and showing costs, regular repairs, utilities during vacancy etc.

An investor-friendly lender will help you devise a plan for savings and debt paydown.I'd also begin looking into which areas you'd like to invest in as well as strategies to utilize (i.e. househacking). 

However, looking at some payment processing options like stripe it seems there is close to a 3 percent fee for utilizing the service.