I would spend time building your list of WHO (agent, mentor, contractor/handyman), then WHAT (house type, tenant base, work needed), then WHERE (location).

And the consumer is spending this holiday season.

If you are setting aside funds for capex, taxes, insurance, or other expenses that don't occur monthly, transfer those funds to Savings each month and hold them there until it's time to spend them.

I’m unable to invest in areas familiar to me as I’m priced out of suburban NJ where I was born and raised.I’m looking to spend $150-$180K on a condo and will need to research viable areas.

My goal is to have financial freedom so I can eventually quit my 9-5 job and use my time to spend with family and do things that excite me.

Focus on tax-saving strategies such as cost segregation studies and bonus depreciation to accelerate deductions.By qualifying as a Real Estate Professional (spending 750+ hours annually and materially participating), you can offset your wife’s S-Corp income with real estate losses, reducing your tax liability.

But I generally don't find that clients need to spend that much money on the process when some simple coaching can make them comfortable in their search.

Spend time driving for dollars in Tacoma neighborhoods to identify distressed properties.

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

Investing in area you're less familiar with combined with multiday travel can be more costly than spending more in your own market.