So, if the total payment was  2500 you would only need to cover 1000 dollars a month with your income. 

Currently being leased, but expect my total cash on cash return to be above the number I target.

I make roughly 150k annually but have 200k total in student debt from graduate school.

The reason I post this here is because I got totally different answers from two CPAsHere is the story:I bought the house as investment property and run it as STR for the last two years.

This isn't totally necessary, but meeting property owners if you need to is a great way to win a deal

Book recommendation #1: Hands Off Investor by @Brian Burke https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-hands-off-inves...Book recommendation #2: Lend to Live https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/lend-to-livePodcast Recommendation: PassivePockets podcast is focused on passive investing in syndications - https://passivepockets.com/podcast/Passive investing summit: PassivePockets Summit May 2-3rd in Columbus https://get.biggerpockets.com/passivepocketsevent/I make these recommendations specifically since you mentioned passive real estate investing, and syndications or hard money lending are really the two most passive ways to invest in real estate. 

Then make the decision if being a hands on landlord is something you are realistically interested in. 

I appreciate your first hand experience with them as there are so many scams out there.

Collaborating with seasoned investors or assisting with deal analysis can also provide valuable hands-on experience.Good luck!

Cash on hand: 8.