That's one of the main reasons these houses get abandoned, that and bad roofs but you can probably tell that from the outside. 

S&P 500 beats RE by double.S&P 500 = $900,000Real Estate = $460,000However, these units are good for someone who wants to dip into real estate while using their unit any time they want with the aforementioned owner perks but without the hassle that ownership brings like maintenance, roof, bad tenants, furnishings, bill payments like SDG&E, internet etc.

At some point you need a new roof, plumbing, windows, HVAC, etc - setting aside 5% of rent may cover a new water heater, but very few components of a house last more than 50 years.It's 2024: books written in 2015 or 2018 are based on the market conditions in year 5 years before they were written.

(I'm thinking adding 2 Beds and 1 bath, or maybe a master with walk in closet and an on suite, a large corner home office, etc. raise rent to $1,600)Needs: Roof, Siding, and Basement Work (potentially more space if the basement is redone, adding a bedroom and bathroom, rent at $1,800?) 

We had a derecho in 2020, so the roof, siding, and windows are all new from 2020.

We are cash flowing great, and continue to pour those profits back into our houses by replacing roofs, painting/siding, and improving the properties to make them more appealing and to get the Cap Ex taken care of. 

We are hiring some contractors (roofing company, mason) that will cost more that $600 for repairs.

Needs a roof, siding, basement, kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.

We did the following inspections:1.) drone inspection of the roof. 

Creating a consistent theme for the entire house… farmhouseNew drywall and paint interior and exteriorFixing the bamboo hardwood floorsChanging out the light fixtures interior and exteriorPainting and restoring the bathroom vanities Tile paint for the bathroom floors and showersLandscapingChanging out the toilets to eco friendly ones Adding a nest thermostatSealing and patching parts of the roof Drywalling and painting the garage Adding new appliances Staging What was the outcome?