If you want to run your investment like a business you 100% need to establish a solid screening process that makes placing tenants in the future easier.

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

🙏☺️ I completely understand where you’re coming from & you’re right that owning real estate is a key step toward truly being an investor.I’m still new to the game, but I have a solid plan in place to move toward ownership & establish myself as a real estate investor.

Understand Chicago ZoningChicago’s zoning regulations vary by ward.

With residential properties everything is easier - establishing value, financing, qualifying, finding the deals, etc.  

BiggerPockets is an excellent platform for networking and establishing connections.

But it’s crucial to double-check NYC’s rental regulations to make sure you’re in the clear.

Often they like to ultimately buy their properties and will pay over market value so they don’t have to uproot the established program to stay in the home they’ve been renting.

Hi Sean from Upstate New York-You have a full time career and have been studying real estate investing.You are asking yourself if you should accumulate properties one by one or a bunch all at once from an investor selling their portfolio.Personally, I would advise you to accumulate your properties one by one using the buying criteria you establish.