Honestly, it is a lot of work, and there are some big pitfalls you want to avoid, but its not rocket science. 

Rocket Mortgage (my current lender) quoted me $100,000 for a 20-year loan at a 9% interest rate, resulting in a monthly payment of around $1,000.

appreciation will put more dollars in your pocket over the long run"100%, this is why I focus on appreciationMy first deal taught me the power of sweat equity and appreciation.

It’s a reminder that no matter how thorough the inspection, surprises are inevitable.Seller financing is a great focus too—definitely seems like a powerful tool to make deals more manageable, especially on the cash flow side.

Separate HVAC systems are a good idea too—makes things easier for tenants and utility billing.I’d also recommend talking to a contractor or local utility company about what’s needed for separate power meters and mailboxes.

As a powerful organization, I would like to see Bigger Pockets become a leader in not simply educating real estate investors but leading the way in warning investors about the real estate guru pitfalls.  

Or, they could gentrify and prices rocket. 

The easiest solution to combine your two Stessa accounts would be for you to add the email address you have associated with BiggerPockets as a collaborator to your already active Stessa account.Then log in with your BiggerPockets credentials (as that collaborator) and it should upgrade your Stessa account.Here are some easy steps to follow: https://support.stessa.com/en/articles/2105533-the-power-of-portfolio-collaboratorsIf this does not work, please message [email protected] and we can work with Stessa directly to get you set up.

As a new investor, your story is a powerful reminder of how important it is for me to be meticulous in protecting my investments.

While the RentRedi's loaded with various toggles/buttons and affordable given the all-you-can-eat pricing, the interface is still very elementary and lacking in usability/design, which is often overlooked as a key determinant of whether your team actually adopts and fully leverages powerful management solutions like these.