@Seidy Lasker Wash sale rules apply to stock options if they are deemed "substantially identical" to a security sold at a loss within 30 days, such as options with similar expiration dates or strike prices.

Most PM software allows late fees to be charged.Ours allows us to absorb the cost of tenants paying electronically thru the software - it usually wants to charge tenants, but we want them to pay electronically.We manually charge tenants a Processing Fee for mailing in their rent, a slightly lower Processing Fee for depositing to our bank.Your success will depend on the Class of your tenants.

You’ll learn the ropes on how to be a landlord with a lower risk/higher quality tenant-base. 

I get a new tenant at a LOWER rent, ALWAYS late, and then ... the septic tank GOES TO HELL

In the winter the gas bill is a lot higher due to heating, but electric is lower.

But, these broad market studies are so large, they are almost meaningless, in the real world.Between glut of new supply in many "hot" markets coming online, a continually softening economic outlook, inflation over last couple years making day to day items feel cost prohibitive, many average renters are strapped and seeking lower cost housing.  

Right now they are "high" (compared to 2020) and people "think" they are going lower. 

A colleague recently closed on a 12-unit property in San Antonio and shared that a 6.8% cap rate, combined with lower property taxes, made it a no-brainer.

As for by-the-room rentals, many lenders won't allow that and if they do, they qualify you off of the long term market rents (which, as I'm sure you can imagine, would be considerably lower than the actual per-room rents).

If you come to the conclusion that you need to focus on your primary earning job but want to start investing in real estate then maybe a turnkey option would be best.