Those couple hours of research will save you hundreds of hours of time down the line, so it's well worth the effort.

The Austin metro was among the hottest destinations in the country for where people were moving last year, according to the latest annual ranking from U-Haul International Inc.Austin ranked No. 5 among the top U.S. growth metros in 2024, and Texas was the No. 2 state for move-ins — bested from the top spot after three consecutive years by South Carolina, according to data released Jan. 2 and Jan. 3.The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area took the crown for the top growth metro in the recent list, followed by Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 2); Phoenix (No. 3); and, Lakeland, Florida (No. 4).

I understand the hesitancy to lease to students but vacancy is so low, that if you can handle a few headaches, it's worth it. 

This requires a dedicated effort sourcing and analyzing hundreds of deals to find the one or two worth pursuing.  

It also means thinking ahead (will this home be a good rental if/when I move out, will this home have good resale if I need to sell it at any point). 

Is it worth it?

We own 2 properties in El Centro, CA:SFH 3/2.5 (built 2016) worth approx 650k.

You have to buy more with your 1031 than your portion is worth.

I'm not as good a professional but the work I did was mostly good enough for us to live in, and the small fixes to make it good enough for renters has been worth trying to do it myself.

It's not only the money you'll lose, it's the time you spend (I figure worth $100 hr) and the mental anguish and stress.