@Mark Updegraff guessing the upside of my stock portfolio is definitely the wild card, as its more discretionary investment we went heavy risk with AI / tech with large upsides but also wild swings.

I am specifically looking in Essex county, MA because I want to house back close enough to my current W-2 job.

Long story short, his crew blasted through the job in a few hours and the clearance test failed.

Definitely will bring more jobs and with that the workers' families.

Depending on how long it takes you to save up the amount, you might want to also allow for inflation on that amount for your continued savings.[2]   Read Rich Dad poor dad.[3]   Think about getting a second job - possibly a temporary job - save a 100% of the money.Just my 2 cents.

You have a job that keeps you busy, but you want to start creating wealth through Real Estate.  

.✅ Stronger Tenant Relationships – Being involved directly allows you to build rapport with your tenants, which can lead to better communication and longer leases.Cons of Self-Managing❌ Time-Consuming – Dealing with maintenance requests, late-night emergencies, and tenant disputes can quickly become a second job.❌ Legal Risks – Chicago has strict landlord-tenant laws.

Newbie investors talk about how they are going to get rentals so they can quit their job.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

@Damien Davis - I bought most of my properties when I had a W2 job.