I'm hopeful I'll be able to get my apartment back and not make the same mistakes again. 

I know I'm probably making mistakes along the way, but its been a valuable learning process. 

He didn't learn Sub-To and other tricks until he was more experienced, and he had the money to pour into it and absorb mistakes.

The worst tenant I ever rented to fit this concern exactly. 

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

(As AZ and your current state will fight over who gets to tax your gains with the federal government.)I have to throw most of the shade on your horrible tax guy/cpa who didn’t tell you renting it out was a $50-$100k mistake. 

I have used KBKG in the past but I currently use DIY cost segs, https://diycostseg.com/who-we-...I like them better than KBKG because if you make a mistake you can correct it.

Sell your worst property first.

@Roman Balmakov If you are planning on holding the property long term and have enough reserves to cover even worst case scenarios it could still be worth it. 

.- I was scared to drop out of law school In 2021 and go all in on REI, I’m super happy with my decision.Now, whenever I’m scared/nervous, I take that as a sign that I should probably do it, and that it’s room for growth.Yes, sometimes it will be a mistake, but that’s how you learn.4) Value Relationships over everythingGood relationships will bring you more joy and take you farther than being selfish and/or greedy.What principles do you live by?