@Greg P.To become a full-time real estate investor, focus on cash flow, appreciation potential, and scalability.

Here’s my two cents:Paying off the condo might make sense if your main goal is to reduce risk and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with no mortgage.

Why ask: This helps you understand how many people have succeeded under their mentorship, giving you an idea of the potential outcomes.

In many markets section 8 is higher than market rate. and investors need that extra return to mitigate the risk of sec 8 tenants generally speaking.

You could also try to find a seller who wants to do seller financing and take a risk on you, which would be challenging to find.

Hi @Emily Gowen, whether you should sell comes down to what income (both cash flow and appreciation) you could realistically expect from the properties in the next X number of years vs. the amount of money you could make by selling now and either reinvesting or just sticking that cash in the S&P and collecting your 6-10% risk-free returns YoY.

In terms of maintenance, they are generally safer because you are not responsible for the exterior and common areas and potential leaks, etc.

Quote from @Basit Siddiqi: I personally would not buy real estate with a retirement account.There are just too many headaches that are not worth the potential increased return.Some headaches when it comes to investing in real estate with a retirement account1) LTV values are less and harder to find lenders.2) Potential to sell or partially distibute the property if you have to do a RMD(Required Minimum Distribution)3) If you run out of cash and have to make a major repair, you may be out of luck and have to sell.4) Having to potentially worry about UBTI(Unrelated Business Taxable Income)I would personally invest in stocks/bonds/notes with a retirement account.I buy deals with cash and use a ROTH SDIRA so there are no RMD's.I buy at huge discounts to retail.

Start by formalizing a lease agreement, evaluating potential renovations to maximize rental income, and deciding on a rental strategy (short-term or long-term).

I haven't sold yet, I've been analyzing property to get a head start on the 45-day timeline of identifying the potential replacement property (and because I enjoy analyzing property).