With smaller contractors that do multiple trades, I've learned over my career there's a golden question and it has changed how I screen subs, vendors, and workers.

Reading about actual humans in this thread, accepting and justifying negative cash flow as a mechanism to invest in real estate, tells me everything I need to know about the current state of the rental real estate market.It's almost as if every single podcast full of veteran investors for decades, all of those golden rules of thumb/pearls of wisdom/rules to mitigate risk, are tossed out the window all for the sake of chasing a yield.I feel like I need to take a shower after reading this nonsense.

But fear not, my fellow investors, because these issues are slowly but surely getting better, and with the simple diligence of keeping an eye on those sneaky property taxes, along with the ever-increasing insurance costs, you will do great.Speaking of golden opportunities, the MHC market has become more institutional, meaning more opportunities for those of us with a keen eye for quality investments.

@Samuel Pavlovcik - Golden nuggets for all of us chicago real estate investors. 

If you have a good team in place to walk you through the process, you will be golden.

Meanwhile, "scamming people" seems to be the "new norm" for those who are to foolish to "live by the Golden Rule..."

Nice @Michelle Golden Champ ! 

The CFP® certification requires rigorous study and hands-on experience, which you seem prepared to tackle.I've been in the financial planning field for several years now and currently teach aspiring CFPs at Golden Gate University.

With historically low barriers to entry, STRs seemed like a golden opportunity.

I did five years Active and traveled all over the globe.