I see that real estate agents and brokers are too negative on sub to deals……investors looking for low interest rates and or low down payments are too positive on the same.As I stated the reality is somewhere in between, depending on individual circumstances.  

That means there is not really an effect on the debt to income ratio neither positive (income) or negative (loss) but rather simply making that payment  non issue. 

Cash flow seems like the obvious one but I'm struggling with the concept of building equity at expense of cash flow. 

Never fully trust anyone that isn't willing to share the negative aspects of all this.As I'm sure you've experienced, this can be a very rewarding path to take and depending on your grit and determination, overcoming all the pitfalls are well worth the effort.Cheers and drive safe!

The service call on a used appliance would negate any money saved. 

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

Just remember: most negative reviews are written by problematic tenants.

The PM company is starting to kick a little better lately but we had a rough 2024.Always remember that every positive and negative experience when taken well is an opportunity to grow as a person and to learn something valuable. 

Short answer: not legally, but they can get away with it.Long answer starts with a fundamental concept of our tax laws.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.