Here are a few I recommend: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Roberto Kiyosaki; "Set for Life" by Scott Trench; "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer; "The BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide" found here on BP; "The Book on Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Tuner.

Selling (1031 exchanging) our high equity family owned properties is the best (really only) option that we have for funding our share of new purchases right now and with each new purchase, we are buying nicer and usually larger units in better neighborhoods so I'm trying to improve the quality of our family owned holdings in addition to growing a new business with our new partner.

As a newbie here, my greatest challenge is consistent, reliable, high quality, detail-oriented cleaning.

Regular inspections and making sure the property looks great not only helps with tenant retention but also attract quality renters.What about you?

It wasn't the messiest thing I've seen, but still required clean up on my end which the clients weren't happy about at all.The third client is a self employed hair dresser and she compained of poor communication, inability to understand what they wanted form her and complete confusion over their payroll directions.For the price paid, I'd say the results were mediocre at best.

What Qualities Should You Look for in a Borrower Before Offering Private Money Loans?

Relative to the past 15 years, it is a poor time to buy residential buy and hold.  

An official background check and personal referrals can help you identify red flags unrelated to finances, such as poor tenant behavior or previous criminal activity.

They are all quality tenants making at least 15k a month and seem very enthusiastic because the unit is fully upgraded with high end finishes and appliances with private garage and backyard.

Every Wall Street guy will tell you emotions make for poor decisions.