You're better off focusing on specific markets, specific neighborhoods, analyzing numbers, and building an ideal buy [box].

A reserve is unnecessary, but I still keep around $15,000 - $20,000 in my account.The point is, that you should sit down and assess your finances to determine what the worst-case scenario may look like, how much you would need to cover it without impacting your life, and whether you will need to build a reserve.

In my market, which is a fairly economical place to build, I am friends with full time builders that are in their properties about $150k/door for construction level finishes.  

But if you/your team like to spend some time building your own flow, feel like it's better to build it on go high level directly. 

Then I begin to research the industry.

Noone bring me any REALLY good deals for the next 1-15 days, or I am subject to counter claims...Real estate industry.... get your act together.

House hacking is a great start in building your portfolio. 

My wholesale business found the deal, I bought from my wholesale business to build my portfolio. 

I'm doing a refi on a multi-family building right now with a lender I found here on the BiggerPockets Lender Finder - https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/lenders They've been able to help me get a DSCR loan which others on this post have mentioned and they've been pretty quick should be able to close before the new year in less than 3 weeks from when I started the process!

Glad you are setting aside money, but if the HVAC is 20 years old, or the septic system has never been pumped, or the roof is 25 years old, etc; you will get hit with a cost before your build up enough set aside.How stable is the other tenant?