I just took a course and was learning about market research, like looking at population per capita in an area and average income, among other things, and comparing those factors in one community where there may be a property you are interested it to another community.

For a $300,000 property, this could be $6,000 to $15,000.Mortgage on Rental Property:Loan Amount: $240,000 (assuming 80% financed at 4% interest over 30 years).Monthly Payment: Approximately $1,145.Other Expenses:Property Taxes: Estimated at 1.5% of property value annually ($4,500).Insurance: Estimated at $1,500 annually.Maintenance: Estimated at 1% of property value annually ($3,000).Property Management Fees: Assuming 10% of monthly rental income ($2,400 annually if rent is $2,000 per month).Vacancy and Turnover Costs: 5% of annual rental income ($1,200).Total Initial Investment and Annual Operating ExpensesInitial Investment:Total Borrowed from Equity: $150,000Down Payment for Rental Property: $60,000Closing Costs for Rental Property: $10,500 (average)Total Initial Cash Outlay: $70,500 (initial investment from equity) + $10,500 (closing costs)Annual Operating Expenses:Property Taxes: $4,500Insurance: $1,500Maintenance: $3,000Property Management Fees: $2,400Vacancy and Turnover Costs: $1,200Total Operating Expenses: $12,600 annuallyExpected ReturnRental Income:Assuming $2,000 per month, annual rental income = $24,000.Net Operating Income (NOI):Annual Rental Income: $24,000Minus Annual Operating Expenses: $12,600NOI: $11,400Debt Service:Mortgage Payment on Rental Property: $1,145 monthly, $13,740 annually.Total Debt Service: $13,740 (rental property) + $8,592 (equity loan) = $22,332 annually.Net Cash Flow:NOI: $11,400Minus Debt Service: $22,332Net Cash Flow: -$10,932 annually (negative cash flow initially due to high debt service).Cash-on-Cash ReturnInitial Cash Investment: $70,500Net Cash Flow (first year): -$10,932Cash-on-Cash Return: Not applicable initially due to negative cash flow.Long-Term Appreciation and AdjustmentsProperty Appreciation:Assuming a 3% annual appreciation, the property value could increase by $9,000 annually.Rent Increases:Assuming a 2% annual rent increase, rental income will rise, improving cash flow. 

Many arrive at this strategy through paid mentorship, while others settle on the strategy through their own education because its such a  widely discussed strategy with so many industry participants peddling the concept thanks to the low barrier of entry and ancillary services and fees that are generated.  

In the real estate industry, brand awarenessand lead generation serve different but complementary purposes, each targeting distinct aspects of business growth.

Unfortunately, this is a thing that happens in our industry.

So a typical (around here) 1 year lease's fees would generate {.5X + 11(.1x) = 1.6X}  Divide that by 12 and you get an average of 13.33% of X per month as the LTR property management fee.An typical STR fee would be 25%, but there should be more vacancy.

But the insane tax increases in Jackson County, Missouri (Kansas City) were deemed illegal:"Missouri’s State Tax Commission ordered Jackson County to roll back its 2023 property tax assessments, which raised homeowners property assessments by an average of 30% and more than 100% in some cases.

@Andrew Gheen Sounds like you have more experience than the average guy at repairing/renovating a property.

In a nutshell it is a cash flow industry with high yield (6% to 11% net pretax) affordable at USD$30K to $70K on average, and most importantly services are transparent.

I still consider myself fairly new to this world, and I can say with 100% certainly the biggest battles are the internal ones, and this industry has given the pleasure of being forced to address several of my short comings, and continue to address them all the time.I find I get the most emotional when I get reactionary, so my constant focus is around honing and suppressing reaction as a whole both internal and external.Thanks for taking the time to write this up.