I don’t know everybody of course, and I’m sure there are people who do this successfully. 

People are still sleeping on it! 

Ridiculous and stupid people.

I don't know where to invest, really drawn to Columbus for many reasons (some cash flow and stable appreciation)--what's been some people's positive and negative experiences in Columbus? 

Going to networking events is a great place to meet people.

I usually like to start it shorter to be safe if I need to end the tenancy, but I know some people opt for the longer 14-15 month leases.

Even so, most people choose to buy coverage for things even if there's a 99% chance they won't need it.  

Meetup and eventbrite seem to be the other platforms that people post them in.

My wife and I have overhauled our personal budget to reflect the 'pay yourself first' approach (allocate in order: income comes in -> invest -> donate -> fixed expenses -> variable expenses -> fun $$).We are looking to see what experienced people generally recommend for a holding tank for that 'invest' allocation while we target our first real estate deal.What financial vehicles have you guys used that works well for this?

People can smell commission breath.