A lead is a person that expressed explicit interest in acquiring your product or service.When a prospect fills in your form of their own accord, THAT is a lead.So before I answer, what do you call a "warm" lead?

My ultimate life goal revolves around investing in communities where I can actively contribute to the flourishing arts scene.Lately, I've teamed up with a group of like-minded friends and investors 🤓, and together, we're embarking on a mission to acquire properties in out-of-state markets that are closely tied to artistic hubs.

I am currently looking at acquiring an 18 unit apartment building.

That's as long as you can afford to acquire it in the first place.The question you should ask yourself is if you want section 8 in the first place.

Fundamentally the point I was trying to get across in my original post wasn’t about my due diligence, its that the cost of known and unknown repairs when you first acquire a REI is way higher than people seem to anticipate.The way my tax person explained it is the 25K limit you’re talking about is the limit to losses you can claim per property per year, I haven’t hit that for any property individually so it works out.

On the other hand, leverage could allow me to acquire multiple properties faster.Considering my circumstances (unknown target market, family support in Fort Wayne, long-term goals), what approach would you recommend?

And these 12 houses didn’t cost me a penny out of pocket to acquire. 

Specifically, my question is whether you can acquire a short-term rental, then immediately turn around and use the income from it to qualify to purchase another property.

We’ve since acquired another rental and are looking to expand our portfolio.

However, with a 5% down conventional loan, there isn't a strict limit on the number of properties you can acquire, as long as you meet the lender's criteria.One strategy I've seen work well is using the FHA loan to buy your first multi-unit property, live in one unit, and rent out the others.