I also suspect inflation will drive continued migration to lower cost of living / lower tax states.  

Learn to ignore them or separate yourself from them.3.

A successful rental property should offer positive cash flow, meaning your rental income should exceed your monthly expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.).To find the right tenants, ensure the property is priced competitively within the local rental market.

I’m always open to learning and figuring out the best path forward.Thanks again for sharing your insights, I really appreciate it!

A Mentor – I am new to the area and hoping to find someone to learn from and help that knows the area well and can guide me in the right direction.2.

I'm currently investing in the Albany area, would just like to network, learn, and share what I've learned so far.Thanks

So, in your considerations, I would park right there for a bit and determine how this would look for you.Since you have about 2.5 years to think about it before you would need to spring into action to take advantage of the rollover for tax advantages, maybe you try on a rental and see how it fits. 

I am about to graduate college in May 2025, and will be making about $120k (pre tax) in my full time job postgrad (Washington DC area).

High taxes.

With all the resources available today to research and learn about the industry, I’m surprised this “easy money” mindset persists.To me, real estate is far from passive or simple.