@Paul Ewing , what they recommend is buying a house at a price you can afford to also fix up enough so that you have minimal maintenance.

The horror stories are minimal, and if you trust yourself enough if things get rough to figure it out, you will. 

If they do charge a fee it's typically minimal and meant to cover the costs of the meeting room, etc.

However, the IRS defines Passive income—or unearned income as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calls it—is income that requires minimal effort to obtain.

You will get the experience, guidance, and minimize your risk.

To minimize audit risk, it’s advisable to choose “Other interest” instead of “Mortgage interest” when reporting.Part 2: Forms 1099-INT from Investors to Private LendersForms 1099-INT Explained: Similar to the interest earned on savings accounts, Form 1099-INT outlines the interest that must be included in taxable income.

The goal is to maximize the income while minimizing the outflow. 

It is worth considering more conservative strategies to minimize risks and increase the chances of success.

As an aside I buy properties I can fix up upon the initial purchase or shortly thereafter so as to minimize future expenses.

If you get caught up in a legal dispute involving multiple defendants and your exposure is minimal or even nonexistent, plaintiffs and some judges are going to frame the case to target you instead of the responsible party because you are the one with the deep pockets.