By prioritizing five-star reviews, I built a strong reputation, which led to increased bookings and higher profitability.

That said, weigh the cost of renovations against the potential increase in appraisal.

My plan for this year is improve my credit, get my real estate license (to increase my income on top of my W-2), possibly career transition into the property management space (to learn more), and save as much as possible and learn as much as I can.I’d love to house hack close to home but my area is so expensive it seems like it’d be close to impossible. 

Here’s a streamlined perspective:Your current approach, putting more down upfront, minimizes risk, increases cash flow faster, and allows you to build equity while reducing overall interest.

With the increasing number of lawsuits and penalties for TCPA violations, I'd like to cover my backside and remain compliant.How do you scrub your lists to ensure you’re not contacting people on the Do Not Call list?

Peter Lohmann’s newsletter is a solid source for staying on top of national trends; I’d recommend subscribing if you haven’t already.In Texas, I’ve noticed increased activity, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

(It could take 8 years to get to today’s market rent, if market rent didn’t increase $1 during those 8 years.  

Top 3 reasons owners hire PMCs:1) No time to manage correctly2) No time to learn how to manage correcly: laws, documents, processes, etc.3) They're too nice and need someone to "save them from themselves"A good PMC can usually earn their fees by better managing the property/tenant than the owner, thereby:1) Increasing owners net profit2) Decreasing owner's time commitment, stress, headaches, etc.No matter what though, you should always plan to commit a couple of hours a month to manage your PMC.

If this property is hard to rent, or is functionally obsolescent (only 1 bathroom, no yard, etc), or has deferred maintenance that will be costly, or is in a location that is not appealing to Tenants, then maybe a sale would be a good option in favor of a property that has better Tenant appeal, which will likely increase rent and avoid long vacancies in between Tenants.An option to consider....

How much will the increased cashflow supplement your anticipated SSI?