Any employer match or pre-tax contribution % should be added in to determine your total allocation to retirement funds.

Purchase price: $110,000 Cash invested: $30,000 4 unit c class apt- under market rents Crime report was clean Bus stop in local proximityLocal shopping and other necessities close as well Professionally managedProperty Details: 1/1- 500sq feet eachNo AC or window units currently in any units One vacant Base board heatSepertely meteredTenant pay water/ electricReplacement windowsCurrent tenants keep their units nice, they have just been underserved by the previous owners and their units needs some repair Professionally managed with current leases and deposits in placeWith it being a quad all tenants have a trash can ( no expense for a dumpster) REPAIRS NEEDED: 2 subfloor repairs needed in 2 units, flat roof needs minimal repair, 3 waters heaters need replaced, about $1,000 allocated for any plumbing repair, bracing underneath as needed or where any joist are weak.

If the system wants to take money from people who is doing well and allocate them to the poor, I can understand by paying more tax. 

I started looking for a CFP just to get a third party to look into our finances and advise us on where to allocate our money.

Thank you Natalie -  so if I spend 75% of loan money renovating property "A" (the one that carries the new loan)  and 25% repairing  2nd property "B"  and the annual interest is $8,000,  I allocate the interest expense 75% to "A" and 25% to "B"  ---- rather than deduct 100% on property "A"

I think its 110% of the allocation for each house.So if the house appraised at 160k, they lent 120k on it.

So I don't have a whole lot of time yet to allocate to investing, plus I'm planning on getting out of Utah once I graduate in about 2 years.That being said, I want to get any kind of real estate exposure and experience as I can while I'm still a student and not a fully active investor myself.

Curious to see how everyone is allocated between Real Estate, Stocks, and Cash, and cash in hand / debt ratio in 2015.No one needs to share their actual numbers, unless you want to, but just percentages.For example, if your networth is $10,0001) Your equity in real estate is $40002) Your stocks holdings (401k, IRA etc) is $30003) Your cash on hand is $30004) Your total mortgage debt (primary & rental properties) is $10,000Real Estate would be 40%, Stocks would be 30% Cash on hand would be 30%, and cash to debt ratio would be 30%

You'll need to decide how much you're allowing for PM / maintenance / etc, but you'll have approximately 1700/mo after debt service and taxes to allocate at 4500/mo. 

When you start working, you allocate a percentage of your yearly salary into this magical 401k and when I am 65 years old, I will have millions of dollars to retire on.