The tenant had painted the walls without permission, and they painted right over the electrical outlets and allowed the paint to drip down over baseboards.The tenant had allowed water to leak under the kitchen sink for an extended period of time and totally rotted out the cabinet and the floor beneath.Every appliance (7 years old) was trashed:  Nearly every handle was ripped off, dishwasher full of something disgusting that rendered it ruined, oven caked with burnt something or other, dryer broken.Several holes were found in the walls.  

Get to know who your customers are and finding the deal will be piece of cake 

This is why I think there is a movement to go with cash flow with appreciation as the "icing on the cake" instead of the age old investing for appreciation. 

You can't have your cake and eat it too.If anyone can complain it's the 0.001%: the highest property tax I have seen so far on a private residence is $135,000 per year for an estate on Lake Drive - ouch!!

I don't add in social security when I'm 70 -- that's icing on the cake and outside my planning parameters.The beauty of real estate and my attraction to it as a 'late comer' after running my own business and trying the 'retirement side gig' for a while is precisely what you suggest -- what if a RE portfolio would net that $33k in beer money instead?

Do you even expect a response, or is that just icing on the cake of getting your name out there?

I lived here the summer it hit 124 and the planes had to be grounded at Sky Harbor International Airport.After living through that, 110-115 is a piece of cake  ; )Maybe you'll invest in an STR here so you can enjoy the cooler temps and all the fun!

For some a government job with a pension plan and benefits is an option.However one path will offer the opportunity to earn bags and bags of green freedom to do as you will and the other might get you a retirement party with sally from the office a lovely supermarket bought cake in 30years and vacations to other side of the sate.Fact: The one thing that all financially successful people have in common is their willingness to take well understood risks.

The icing on the cake was when she couldn't get her car out of the driveway because she had to shovel snow for herself... she came knocking on our door freaking out to my 7 month pregnant wife that this was somehow our fault (i was not home at the time).

BEFORE you consider the OZ tax benefits, the deal has to work and the OZ benefits should be considered the "icing" on the cake.