Of course, control your lifestyle, but you might have more expenses.You'll need to keep up with your real estate properties, e.g. remodels and maybe 1031's to handle your tax liability.I still contend to expand into other investment avenues, especially more passive and perhaps "less complicated" tax liability situations.Good luck. 

Actually it sounds like you have three issues to contend with.

The market tends to be extremely high in all of the neighborhoods (Nothing less than 250k if you want a decent deal).I recently took a drive around town and took note of a few properties that caught my eye that might be contenders of a wholesale deal.

If you assume a 40% expense ratio, this property looks like this:Gross rents: $3,000Operating Expenses: $1,200 per monthNOI: $1,800 per monthYou're assuming that Craig is going to be able to do 100% financing here, which I'll contend is impossible in the current lending environment.

Credit score 760.No equity going into a house at the moment- but have the cheapest rent possible in your area.Two biggest contenders in my mind at the moment: Dump all profits into index funds utilizing some IRA/401k contributions for extra benefit OR Save up enough to begin flipping houses- still do 401k to at least matching levelNote: not working a 9-5 job, work all your own hours only have to attend 2 meetings/wk 2 hrs eachYour job is already incredibly rewarding so you are willing to take on extra bs/work in order to compound your savings over time.

But I contend that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker.

Unfortunately it doesn’t take in to consideration the various levels of down payments, interest rates, taxes or insurance premiums that the buyer will have to contend with; so you’ll need to work the numbers a little more.The buyer has to deal with what’s called their debt to income ratio.

I've heard for years no pain no gain; I believe that all jogs have a degree of stress since there are so many variables to contend with you need to be as I say like a rubber ball the harder you get knocked down the higher you bounce up.

I would contend, though, that as your cost of materials goes up (more expensive fixtures, etc.), you're probably doing other things that would increase labor costs for a nicer house.

The IRS contends rentals to family members, even at FMV, are considered personal use days unless the family member uses it as a main home.