We started with an offer of $1,000, but after some back-and-forth, we reached an agreement at $1,500.

.- Tell them they'll have to provide you with a copy of their renter's insurance naming you as additional named insured, with a minimum of (I use $300,000) liability insurance, also before they move into the unit.It's not perfect, but it's a start toward a tenant transparency.

I'm also starting off my own personal investment property journey with my husband. 

A low maintenance condo rentable to good tenants sounds like a good starting point to me.I’m 56 and reasonably setup for retirement, so real estate is a stabilizing diversifier for me.

These guru's pitch get rick quick with no money down, so people "want to be investors" but fail to start because they had unrealistic expectations from day 1.  

Conventional rates start at 5.25% at a 30 year fix.

If you have every lived or have family you are visiting anywhere in the Midwest, that's where I would start.  

Quote from @Jules Aton: I started investing in my late 20s during early 90s in up and coming inner city neighborhoods.

Congrats on getting started.

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