Not considering it will take years of perfect rental with no vacancy or capex just to “break even” with where they are today. 

Hi @Justin Pumpr,You’ve been through a lot brother, and it’s clear you’ve gained valuable experience, even if the results haven’t matched your expectations.

Purchase price: $376,613 Moved to Orange Park, Florida, from Delaware three years ago, choosing this home as the perfect place to settle and grow.

Still not a perfect system though.Also, we ONLY install passage doorknobs and keyed deadbolts.- Logically, there really is no additional security provided with both keyed doorknob & deadbolt, but a deadbolt is more secure than a keyed doorknob.- Since you need a key to lock a deadbolt when you leave the premises, tenant's can't lock their key(s) in the home and then pester us to come let them back in.--- Tenants can still lose their keys outside their home:(

For example we pay our own income taxes, broker splits and all of our other expenses directly out of what we make including required E&O insurance, MLS dues, licensing fees, Board of Realtor dues, continuing education costs, marketing, advertising, office fees/rent, transaction coordinator/ assistant fees, health insurance, car insurance and maintenance, gas, tires, software, retirement fund, etc.We are not W2 employees with payroll taxes already taken out of our paychecks, company-paid health insurance and matching retirement account plus a guarantee of at least 40 hours paid work per week, sick pay, paid vacation… none of that.So if you’re thinking you’ll be able to pay an hourly wage typical of a W2 hourly employee like $50-85/hr… that’s definitely not going to work.

🎯 The Real Parallel for Real Estate Investors:AMEX and Coca-Cola together show Buffett's core principles that align perfectly with real estate investing:Buy Quality Assets During OpportunitiesAMEX during the crisisCoca-Cola during market pessimismJust like buying good properties during market corrections!

I have employer sponsored plans that match contributions as well as a solo 401k and I do a backdoor Roth. 

While short-term rentals in areas like Kissimmee, Florida, can pay for themselves and offer lifestyle benefits, the ROI typically doesn’t match what I see from my traditional portfolio of long-term rentals in North Texas.That said, short-term rentals can still be a great choice, especially if you're drawn to the area and the opportunity to combine personal use with investment income.

If you’re a buyer, this could be the perfect time to explore new construction.

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.You need to get a firm grasp on two things: the ways to make money with real estate, and how to find deals that match your goals.P.S.