I was heavy in RE but sold most in 2021 and appreciate the simplicity of a Vanguard TSM account as I head into the last 5 years before retirement. 

Check out the Short-term and Vacation Rentals forum.

Not in all cases but more often then not.Additionally you have to have solid management who is checking on the property at a minimum once per quarter as many times I find these tenant don't always report issues timely.  

You can run the same scenario accounting for the tax hit if you kept it past the 2 of 5 year time frame I presume you are referencing. 

Account ClosedWhat do you invest in?

I recommend checking Ohio, its a very beginner/landlord friendly state to get started. 

I use problems like this to go an check out the problem and then the entire property while I'm there, looking for other problems, but also assessing HOW the tenant is taking care of the property.  

Our current mortgage terms include a late fee after 5 days, so they’re already paying extra each month and have to split the total monthly payment up between 2-3 payments when they get their pay check.

. - Once an owner knows what materials are being used, they can then check pricing at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. - Some materials for bigger jobs, like concrete, are harder to check pricing on.

Set up a Joint account with the seller so you can make deposits to continue the automatic payments to the lender until you refinance the property.Thanks,Dustin