A more accurate way to describe it is "I received no income" - because you can have deals but still have no profit if your expenses are greater than your income.If you were actively looking for deals (and can document it) - as opposed to merely planning to start later - then you file Schedule C and claim business expanses such as marketing, driving, technology and so on. 

My first MF I represented the buyer on I made 100k. for maybe a weeks worth of work. 3. if your going to be looking a more resi style duplex 4 plex a lot of those get listed and having access to the MLS is far superior to any other on line listing service ONE simply because you will be able to talk to the actual LIsting agent not someone paying for leads.And then of course having access to MLS lock box's and not relying on agents.. this is huge.Now if your maybe going to buy one property sometime in the future and you have no interest in learning the RE laws of your state or making any money with transactional real estate then sure.. its a pass.. although I would still recommend the pre license course so you learn the basics  the vocabulary and states unique laws.. knowledge is power in RE.

When you want to exchange to a more passive NNN property. 

While the numbers they provide might make sense under specific conditions, it’s always a good idea to apply a more conservative approach to ensure you’re prepared for the unexpected.For vacancy, the tenancy averages they’ve shared (3.8 years for C class and 6+ years for B- class) aren’t out of the realm of possibility, but I’d treat them with caution.

I prefer a more realistic and strategic approach.

That said, it could be a good choice if you’re capital constrained and need to recycle equity from deal to deal.However, if you have capital to deploy and want to take a more hands-off approach, targeting a turnkey, rent-ready offering could be a better approach for your first deal.Full disclosure: I own rentals and operate a turnkey provider in Tuscaloosa—let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you!

I ended up investing out of state in a more landlord friendly / cost effective market.First thing I'd recommend is figuring out your investing strategy (single family / small multi-family 2-4 units) and attend some local meet ups to network with other investors to learn from their mistakes.

I think there's little to help folks like myself starting with little capital who want a more realistic path in than save $100k and then get started.

If you’re looking for a more full time job I’d consider that.

Quote from @Nathan Gesner: Happy to hear you're leaning into a more proactive role - with a single portfolio that large I'd imagine your insight will be appreciated.