Obviously I want to keep my costs low but still want to spring for amenities that would give me a competitive edge compared to other rentals.

It might be the way I have to keep going but it's why I'm exploring this fund option as an alternative.1.

Keep us updated. 

I have been keeping them between $9,000 to $10,000, does anyone go higher?

And the elected officials and tenants wonder why rent keeps going up so much.I have been having to put in a lot of fire systems in properties we manage. 

I've had so many sellers list their rental properties with me asking me to keep it as discreet as possible as they have many "friends" who are Realtors that they didn't want to often.

If you truly want to "retire" young, keep investing and living your life you'll need a ton more.

I just keep hearing over and over again to just take action and course correct from there. 

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.

Keep in mind if there are economic shifts that you are seeing, so is everyone else, so you may have missed the boat.