We manage several multi-family properties in FW. 

I manage around 400 rentals and probably terminate a couple dozen every year for lease violations.

While qualified dividends get preferential tax treatment, real estate offers:Depreciation deductions1031 exchangesCost segregation opportunitiesHome office deductions for your management activitiesAnd more!

That means learning how to vet a manager.

A great REALTOR will help you gather rental history and the cost to own and show you good sites for pulling rental projections, but you will need to do your own calculations.Everyone's mileage varies.

I'm born and raised in Houston and now work with a full service long-term rental management managing over 300 doors - all SF or MU (up to 4 unit).

@Tanner Davis If you want to pursue either a fix/flip or BRRRR strategy, it sounds like you might need to find a partner/investor that knows you well and believes enough in you as a person to invest money in a project. 

You can learn just about anything you need to complete a small project off YouTube and with the right tools.  

As a family-run business we’re curious—what factors do lenders prioritize most when evaluating projects like ours?

Once I've completed these initial projects and built up some capital, my long-term goal is to transition into buy-and-hold investments in potentially more affordable markets to maximize cash flow and scale up.Right now, I'm particularly interested in investing locally here in the Seattle metro area.