I got a notice saying "Don't worry, your payments will automatically be transferred to us", however my bank didn't recognize the new servicer's info and the payment didn't go through, making us late and again dinging our credit and triggering late fees. 

Hardest step in everyone's journey is to pull the trigger on a deal.

One more tip – people remember stories that trigger their emotions.

Every small relief in rates triggers a rush of buyer traffic, I would take advantage of this fall and winter before the cyclical spring market rush.  

Specific technical issue that triggered this post.

Local investor meetups are also a great place to find a mentor and just talk to other investors in your market.It can be pretty scary buying your first deal, but at some point you need to pull the trigger if investing is truly what you want to do.

Its persistence, jumping on the research and numbers fast, and being ready to pull the trigger when everything looks good.

Although I probably get killed on transaction fees which is part of why I am not pulling the trigger (along with lack of time to execute well).There are games you can play for increasing your returns in the stock market (sector rotations, rebalancing, being a good company picker) but you lack operational control. 

What I didn't realize is that not only is this taxed as ordinary income (I knew that part), but it also triggers SELF-EMPLOYMENT taxes as well. 

They both are nurses and didn’t pull the trigger.