That information was stated to establish what I thought is a relevant trend to the discussion that inevitably follows it.

A lender is required to establish the ATR of a borrower when it will be their primary residence.

So if you can do just a few deals a year you can be making some extra money, learning, and establishing yourself so that eventually you can easily transition into being full time.

For any value add project, the primary evaluation is based on the numbers.Provided you have trustworthy teammates for the renovation side and a competent agent on the valuation side, you'll perform no matter the location.It seems your weighing factors that relate more towards long-term investing and where your asset will appreciate the most.In respect to emerging markets, you'll want to use characteristics like population growth, employment growth, safety trends and path of progress.

If you want to run your investment like a business you 100% need to establish a solid screening process that makes placing tenants in the future easier.

Property managers have established vendor relationships and can handle issues quickly.Cons of Hiring a Property Manager❌ Lower Profit Margins – Management fees (typically 8-12% of monthly rent) eat into your cash flow, which can be a dealbreaker if your margins are tight.❌ Less Control Over Tenants & Maintenance – You won’t be as involved in selecting tenants or overseeing repairs, which might lead to decisions you wouldn’t have made yourself.❌ Not All Property Managers Are Great – A bad property manager can neglect your property, overcharge for repairs, or poorly handle tenant relations, leading to unnecessary headaches.Which Option Is Right for You?

But here’s what separates the long term successful investors from the wanna bes, the hopefuls, and the people attending every seminar and buying every mentorship and never establishing a successful track record1- the ability to IDENTIFY a deal - most deals are not  advertised at a great price - negotiation is needed.

Competing with Experienced ProfessionalsNew agents may feel overwhelmed by more established competitors in the industry.Solution: Focus on your unique strengths, provide excellent customer service, and embrace modern technology to differentiate yourself.The challenges of being a new realtor or investor are real, but they’re not insurmountable.

Push through it, you may even need to have a second, consistent paying job and thats OK, until you get established.

Last month city established a tax incentive district on neighborhood.