Big expense up front, additional expenses over the life of the lock, they can be too complicated for renters to figure out, and they don't solve all the problems a landlord may face.

@Marc Zak Using an LLC for each property provides strong liability protection by isolating risks to individual assets, with income and expenses flowing through to your personal taxes on Schedule E.

•Compare your planned rent with recent lease signings, not just listed prices.

Quote from @Calvin Thomas: Isn't electric a lot more expensive? 

I do my own property management to keep my expenses low. 

As for the areas to target, my goal in getting our feet wet as real estate investors--and since we plan to be living in Sac--is to find a property we can live in while renting out one or more units to help cover our housing expenses, which we can then hold and continue to rent out when we move.

If you're planning to buy in the US, there are programs for those that aren't US citizens.

Not sure your situation financially but even your $100,000 HELOC is going to probably run you $12,000 additional each year in expense that you've got to factor in.

The catch is it must be vacant 90 days and winters in Vermont are expensive to heat the building so the pipes don't freeze requiring costly plumbing repairs.So this property may be eligible for up to $130k in grant money and rental income guaranteed by the state!

When I look at the property and the information what I am noticing is the "game plan" is as follows:1.