@Noah FrancisAs you prepare to purchase your first property in Houston, focus on proven local strategies like house hacking, value-add rentals in emerging neighborhoods, or leveraging DSCR loans for cash-flowing multifamily properties.

So I will share an example in our space as well about people complaining they canot find a deal - and the issue is people can find deals but people cannot find a grand slam and they see people making tons of money (on social media...) but they never pull the trigger. so lets say you find a property in a great neighborhood that is well desired and get it for 5%-10% under market value.

Right now, tools like ChatGPT are incredibly useful for high-level insights into the real estate market: trends in a city, popular neighborhoods, or general investment strategies.

They're especially good if you have multiple properties as it serves as a "one stop shop" for real estate management.Loan Tracking Capabilities:Track property-specific cash flow (income vs loan payments)Tag and categorize loan payments (P&I split)Connect bank accounts to see real-time paymentsUpload docs (e.g., mortgage statements, insurance)View performance metrics: cap rate, ROI, cash-on-cashRefinance Timing: These are my go-to triggers- Interest Rate Drop: Rule of thumb: 0.75%+ drop is worth evaluating- Equity Gain: 20%+ equity can eliminate PMI.

I live in an older neighborhood with very few listings. 

As investors are viewing properties there will be a chatbot that they can answer questions such as what are the rent comparables, and how is the neighborhood like all in one platform.This is what the future of home search will be as the technology advances.

There are 2 types, one from the shelter(DHS) and the other is a shopping voucher (homebound).

Any websites to shop around?

It's alright to pitch deals everywhere and work on multiple things, but refine your knowledge in a single category, such as a neighborhood or a style of building. 

A lot of very seasoned investors own homes and properties in the same neighborhoods or communities that they 'collect' over time.