As for income verification, I require the applicants two most recent paystubs and if self employed I need their most recent tax return.

My name's Cody, I have been listening to the podcast for years, and I've read all the books.

Focus on neighborhoods near employers or schools, and explore slightly outside Austin for more affordable options. 

Many opt for other investing methods in their SDIRA like private lending, crypto, private equity...anything except collectibles and life insurance.Note that a Solo 401k is exempt from UBIT on leveraged real estate so if you have self employment activity and no full time employees save for you and your spouse you should consider the Solo K as an option. 

Read books and maybe take on the occasional 3 day seminar. 

Ok, so I read and loved Avery Carls “Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth”.

Quote from @Jimmy Rojas: I live in Arizona and homes here are sky high, youd be lucky to get %6 interest rate, I would be a 1st time home buyer, apart from being 1099 employed would Trumps real estate plans benefit the little guys like me? 

If you are considering buying short term rental properties I suggest reading "Short-term rental Long-term wealth" by Avery Carl. 

. - Minimum work history: 1 year (please provide references and pay stubs for the past 3 months; if self-employed we can discuss alternatives to paystubs)

Quote from @Jeff Calcaterra: We have a potential tenant new to the area who has gone through a paid background check, signed a background check authorization form, sent us a LinkedIn profile, sent an offer letter and says he is willing to send us paycheck stubs, but says he doesn't want us to call HR to verify employment because he is supposed to have found housing already.