It was more money than we had in reserveMy pets now sees the vet for slight infections, get premium pet food (I have a fat cat that is on prescription pet food that would not be cheap compared to human food).  

Thank you,Gene

Fat chance you're spending >$720 on replacements for a rental but that's just my opinion. 

Some real estate transactions are clean cut and they feel like walking in a park picking up a big fat check while other transactions are full of landmines require the knowledge and experience to navigate through the process.

Although the payments are higher and the fat is slimmer, I have a larger pot of equity to draw from after year one to leverage and get another property via HELOC.

I would effectively be loosing 10k since that is the principal I have paid down so far on my current loan after 1.8 years + the 10k down payment at closing.Or should I just plan to sell it in a couple years and use the profit for a fat down payment on my next house and also avoid taxes from selling my owner occupied home?

If you are speaking to a securities attorney they don't have to be local to NJ - my securities attorney is Gene Trowbridge and he's based in CA.

Soon enough I will have access to 100% of my salary as a real estate agent to deploy towards future assets, working my way towards "Fat FI" and greater time freedom in my 40s & beyond.Lessons learned?

As you say, the landlord is always perceived as the villain of the piece, a fat cat who does nothing more than sit back, rake in 'all the money' and count it.

@Gene Hacker another reason the wife and I are starting to talk about a plan to eventually move out of California.