If you can do it, in ground all the way.Nothing screams cheap like an above ground pool.

You do have to remember a few things here.

With current interest rates, and they are at least 1% higher with potentially additional points for non owner occupied property, it is hard to find properties that will allow for positive cash flow after paying the mortgage, if you are looking for money for the down payment from a private lender, those are normally at higher than market and I am not sure it would be possible to pay it off.... please remember you need to take into account that you may not have a tenant for a certain amount of time, a tenant may stop paying rent, or you will have a big ticket item to fix, so I would wait if I were you and save to have enough for the down payment and closing costs and perhaps some money set aside for repairs. you also want to make sure that you have your own emergency fund outside of the money needed for the investment property because life happens ....

Remember, no system is perfect, so avoid the temptation of constantly chasing after the next shiny object.

Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

And remember, authentic content that reflects your unique perspective and experience will always be more impactful than recycled material.

Remember, I sent a signed and amended the agreement on November 28th, sent it to them for signature, received confirmation of their receipt, wired funds, requested multiple times they send me the fully executed agreement, never received a fully executed copy back from them and finally was questioned by them yesterday as to why I altered the agreement (meaning there was no meeting of the minds since it's therefore proven that they didn't even look at it).I have rescinded my offer to enter into a contract with Estate Legal for lead generation services and am now seeking a full refund, including my cost of wiring the funds. 

Two Years from now you can go back and look at the "stupid" questions that you asked and remember that everyone starts somewhere :)

Remember, the notion of amassing wealth without investing is a dangerous myth perpetuated by self-proclaimed experts.

In the end, we are all on the same team here.I don't remember ever giving anyone any advice.