If it's a good asset(meaning primarily good location), you eat the 5.3% cap no problem you own the physical asset.

What does a cash positive investment mean to you? 

The loan is with you, not with your tenant, so none of that means anything to them - in fact because you live in one unit and it's under 4, if you were self-managing you don't even have to abide by fair housing laws (at least on the federal level). 

I expect that means it needs to be 15 years or more.

My professional background is data science / analytics, which means analyzing cash flows will probably come more naturally than building relationships, which apparently, is how one finds deals worth making.Are there meetups in these areas I should attend (digitally at first, presumably)? 

This means with my numbers it will be cash negative.how will this help you scale to 3 to 4 deals a year to get to 20 deals?  

Meaning that if you fund a $5K EMD and then decide not to close you lose the EMD, or you pay for an inspection up front and risk missing out on the deal while you're waiting for the report.

I mean, it's a long list of 'wow".    

Just because that number seems unachievable now, that does not mean it is. 

Relatively small amounts of interest income ($1600+ per year) is the highest taxed form of income I have found if you have kids at home.After earning a few grand in interest, It takes away my child tax credits and gives me an effective tax rate of 70%.