The regulations in Chicago can be quite overwhelming, so I’m looking forward to exploring the opportunities in this area. 

One thing to explore is Equitable Ownership.

Even with a lower prime rate, the affordability boost is limited if home prices remain elevated and rents don’t increase proportionally.For investors, this might be the time to get creative: value-add strategies, BRRRR, or exploring underserved markets where rents still have room to grow might help improve cash flow potential.

See you next time I am in town.

Read our copy & paste advice below on better screening for a PMC.Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

What types of real estate investment strategies are you most excited to explore?

I worry that some people think that passive income from rental properties is sitting on a beach in Maui when it's really unclogging toilets on weekends when your handyman is out of town.

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

I'd suggest narrowing down to a few markets to explore, then reaching out to investors in those markets versus throwing a wide net.Cheers!

Let’s break it down with your example and explore the financing options.Max Leverage (Using a Lender for 90% Purchase and 100% Rehab):Purchase Loan: 90% of $80,000 = $72,000Rehab Loan: 100% of $25,000 = $25,000Total Loan Amount: $97,000Your Cash Investment:Down Payment: 10% of $80,000 = $8,000Closing Costs and Fees: Estimate around 3-5% of the purchase price = $2,400 - $4,000Holding Costs: Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and interest during rehab (estimate $1,000 - $3,000)Contingency Fund: 10-15% of rehab costs = $2,500 - $3,750Total Cash Needed: $8,000 (down payment) + $2,400 - $4,000 (closing costs) + $1,000 - $3,000 (holding costs) + $2,500 - $3,750 (contingency) = $13,900 - $18,750Moderate Leverage (Using a Lender for 90% Purchase and 0% Rehab):Purchase Loan: 90% of $80,000 = $72,000Your Cash Investment:Down Payment: 10% of $80,000 = $8,000Rehab Costs: $25,000Closing Costs and Fees: Estimate around 3-5% of the purchase price = $2,400 - $4,000Holding Costs: Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and interest during rehab (estimate $1,000 - $3,000)Contingency Fund: 10-15% of rehab costs = $2,500 - $3,750Higher Equity (Using a Lender for Less than 90% Purchase):If you decide to put more equity into the deal by using less leverage, you will need more cash upfront, but your loan amount and, subsequently, your interest payments will be lower.