My personal goals focus on appreciation, so I'm okay with making minimal positive cash flow in an area that is appreciating quickly, even if rent rates are increasing at a slower pace.

I would like to avoid/minimize as many mistakes as possible.

Understanding their exit strategy—how they plan to pay back the loan—is crucial for minimizing risk.Don’t overlook the property itself.

However, I have been trying to figure out possible creative financing options to build more without having to sell, but I cannot seem to find a lender willing to do 100% down on land and construction even though the LTV would be below 50% since I can basically build for costs of material plus minimal labor by doing almost all of it myself , with a little help here and there.

On an estopple the tenant indicates what they paid in deposits, current tenancy status, appliances owned, etc.

Are you located in 96797 as indicated on your profile?

The very fact that they are undocumented indicates that they already broke the law.

If you can find a house or duplex where rental income covers a significant portion of the mortgage, it could help you build equity while minimizing your living expenses.I'd recommend looking into first-time homebuyer programs in your area, and as always, make sure the numbers work for you.

Currently, Syracuse multi-family properties are yielding a 10 cap rate, indicating a strong investment opportunity, while in Binghamton, large multi-family listings average at or below a 7 cap rate.

@Farzan SetayeshNot a local investor, but here is a data driven look at the market conditions in McAllen TexasTwo of the most important market performance indicators, population and median home values, have been increasing steadily for the past decade   Rents have followed a similar trend The chart to the right shows median household incomes over time, which have also been increasing.