My girlfriend and I have been looking at properties over the last couple of months due to life situations changing and having a decent chunk of change saved for a down payment.

Considering most homes will not cash flow with 20% or less down, plan on 20% and most likely 25% down required - depending on the cash flow expectations. 

I recently attended a webinar, Master your Rentals: Save Money and Time with effective Self-management.  

If you are a Veteran its 100% financing which can also help save money and in as little as 6-12 months you can move out of a unit and rent out all units and start over.

Move the money in and out as tenants move in and out.You need two accounts: checking and savings.

They are pros who understand real estate and can help you make a solid plan to help you accomplish your goals.

The Meter Save program was discontinued in Chicago in 2022 and it seems there are no viable options that I qualify for (I’ve looked at the department of waters options and I don’t fit the qualifications).this feels like I’m getting ripped off each month in the bill and am really needing support here.

Most other places cost $0.15-$0.25 or more per lead, so this will save you a lot of money.

If you’re not in a rush to tap your equity, holding off until rates come down could save you money in the long run.

For instance, many tribal lands are exempt from state and local property taxes, which can obviously lead to significant savings.