My duplex - built 1989, 2,060 sf, 2 bed/bath, 1 year old roof, value if I subdivide (county already approved) and sell each separately $150k each ($300k total)Investor duplex - built 1995, 2,300 sf, 2 bed/bath, 5 year old roof, value around $310kThe investors initial request was for an equal trade and they would pay realtor fees, which I replied wouldn't be equal due to buying/selling costs (recording fees, title insurance, closing fee, survey, inspections, loan fees, 1031 fees, accountant fees, repairs), taxes would increase due to new sale price, I'd trade a 3.75% mortgage for a higher one, and I'm on the 10th year of a 30 year loan so resetting that to a new loan would restart amortization and pay more towards interest.

Off-market deals help you avoid this by giving you the opportunity to negotiate directly with the seller and secure a better price.Underestimating Repair Costs – Make sure you account for all repairs and renovations when purchasing a property.

Purchase price was $245k, rehab was $35k, and ARV is $330-350k.

I heard about bigger pockets from a friend of mine that has successfully built and rented multiple properties in our area. 

. - Have seen many investors create their own LLC and use their name & address:(- Only works if you put a property in LLC when you purchase.

Purchase price: $255,000 Cash invested: $60,000I bought a condo back in 2019 in Ashburn, VA as a rental property.

They may have used one of their friend's companies or something shady like that.

I work with several real estate developers across the country and they all do it differently.My suggestion is to find a property type and an area/neighborhood/city/market that you are drawn to and plot your course from there.As for the amount of money you'll need, it's gonna be mostly driven off the purchase price of the property.

Regardless, you might find the copy & paste info below helpful:)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

House hacking by purchasing a duplex, triplex, or single-family home with extra rooms can help you reduce or eliminate housing costs while building equity.