Ask yourself: Do you know ANY highly successful real estate investors or sales pros who sleep in, waste time, and still crush it? 

Normal mortgage rates are in the high 6's now, for a personal residence, and higher for an investment property. 

To succeed, focus on properties in high-demand neighborhoods like Pecan Grove or Aliana, and ensure your cash flow analysis accounts for high property taxes, potential HOA restrictions, and flood insurance costs.

They make their money off of real estate agents, but real estate agents are the worst people to make money off because they are highly unreliable and in and out of the business when the market changes.Their target should be the consumer with higher levels that they can subscribe too for data, since Zillow is linked to the MLS now which makes their data somewhere more reliable.

BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.

In fact the demand is stronger than I've ever seen it, though prices are high.

Quote from @Jules Aton: If you are doing high grade laminate that should be good.

Coming from an area where rents are much lower (a 2-bed, 1-bath, 1,500 sqft rental averages $1,270/month), I was shocked by the high rental prices in Danbury.

Rents are high and demand is high. 

In high-appreciation markets (e.g., CA), lower cash flow may be acceptable.