Securing financing upfront is paramount.

Ensure you collect a proper security deposit (typically one month's rent in Florida) to cover potential damages.Your plan to increase rent next year makes sense given rising costs (taxes, insurance, and maintenance).

@Tove Fox - Residential Real Estate InvestingPros:Lower Entry Costs: Easier to get started with less capital required.High Demand: People always need homes, making demand relatively stable.Easier Financing: Mortgages are generally easier to secure with favorable terms.Simplicity: Easier to understand and manage, especially for beginners.Flexibility: You can use it as a personal residence or rent it out.Cons:Tenant Turnover: More frequent turnover leads to vacancy and more management.Lower Cash Flow: Income potential can be modest compared to commercial properties.Emotional Buyers: Residential prices can be influenced by emotions, leading to price volatility.Maintenance Burden: Landlords often deal with repairs and maintenance, which can be time-consuming.Commercial Real Estate InvestingPros:Higher Income Potential: Stronger cash flow and higher returns are common.Long-Term Leases: Tenants often sign longer leases (3-10 years), reducing vacancy risk.Professional Tenants: Business tenants tend to take better care of the property.Valuation Based on Income: Prices are based on the income the property generates, not market emotions.Shared Costs: Tenants often cover property expenses like taxes, insurance, and maintenance (via triple-net leases).Cons:High Entry Costs: Requires more capital or partnerships to get started.Complex Management: More expertise is needed; you may need a professional property manager.Economic Sensitivity: Commercial properties are more sensitive to economic conditions.Challenging Financing: Securing financing can be harder, with stricter terms and higher interest rates.Zoning and Legalities: More complex regulations compared to residential properties.Key Differences:Risk: Residential tends to be lower risk, while commercial offers higher rewards but with greater risk.Management: Residential is easier for DIY investors, while commercial properties usually require a team.Scalability: Commercial properties are easier to scale, offering more potential for significant cash flow increases.

Private lenders or even creating a small syndicate with a group of investors might also be worth exploring, especially since you can point to your uncle’s track record and your own experience managing rentals as a selling point.If timing is tight, you could look into a bridge loan to secure the property while figuring out a more permanent solution.

The vast majority of lawsuits against Landlords are for wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

Contrary to what some say, this is NOT a state-wide requirement, it is lender dependent.

We embrace S8 applicants, but screen them just like any other applicant.Many have an entitlement mentality and try to leverage their S8 voucher by pretending to be helpless:1) A percentage won't apply because they expect a landlord to waive application fees for them.2) Many cry broke and expect a landlord NOT to charge them a security deposit.3) Many of those same S8 tenants trying to avoid paying a security deposit, won't make an effort to call the list of nonprofits we send them that will pay their security deposit if they apply.4) A lot of them try to avoid paying for utilities.

My strategy would then be to lease at least two of the renovated units, increasing occupancy to 90%, which could improve the chances of securing favorable terms for refinancing.I haven't pitched it to the seller yet.

Prior to investing, I asked my coordinator if the loan was secured and she said yes, it was secured by their property portfolio.

They didn’t completely destroy the house, I did keep most of their security deposit and used it for the repairs, along with some of our own cash.