Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

I am passionate about helping investors build life-changing wealth through scalable portfolios.Background:Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, I is fluent in Spanish and have spent a decade in nonprofit work and overseas missions.

Often times they don't cash flow right away, so plan accordingly.4.

@Tim Holt, Yes INDEED house hacking is the best option for most 1st time buyers.  

He has lived here his entire life, and knows the area very well, and he is a general contractor and has been remodeling homes in our area for 20 years.

The holidays are a magical time, full of family gatherings, laughter, and... real estate deals?

Who cares about lifetime interest costs, except to the extent you can easily lower them (refinance to a lower interest rate) to increase your cashflow.

I know I already mentioned this, but @Mordy Chaimovitz...If you can get by with lower cash flow and invest for the long-term generational wealth (aka appreciation) in nice neighborhoods, that is the way to go, but it's tough to get by at times -- at least it is for me.Just know everyone's situation is different, and you should do what is best for your specific circumstances!

I was a SWO for 8 years, and the best thing I did to improve my financial life was real estate investing. 

At some point, the juice isn't worth the squeeze for us and we just want to enjoy life.