Real estate is a long game, and getting a good asking price when the demand isn't as competitive because most people have similar thoughts to yours - might be worthwhile to take on the investment.

How full is the competition? 

Competition does a better job of regulating pricing than company transparency in my opinion.

This can add up.Property Standards: The house has to meet certain standards, which might limit your choices in a competitive market like LA.Loan Limits: There’s a cap on how much you can borrow with an FHA loan, which might not cover the higher-priced homes in LA.My Take:If you’re set on buying now and can handle the extra costs, FHA could work.

As I recall, just meeting three of those conditions (and there are several more) moves you from 1099 to W-2.It's been 9 years since I sold my pack & ship store, so maybe that has changed.The USPS is ramping up their competition, so it's wise to keep an eye on them. 

Both are terrible advice for MTRs as this space is becoming hyper competitive in most markets and the bar has been raised significantly by STR owners pivoting to the MTR space.

But remember that you have to furnish the whole place to the tee to crush it on STR in the Austin area, there is a lot of competition.

You leverage asset hunting with your own competitive advantage.

With high competition in the Lehigh Valley, I'm considering branching out a bit. 

This is hands down one of the best investments I've made in my own education (for contrast: my BS and doctorate cost me $250K, and for RE, apart from books, I recently spent $18K on a syndication coach and $5K on multifamily strategy with Christian & Cody) -- and her course was a fraction of these costs at only $2.5K (Soli: you should up your prices, you are worth it)!