Miraculously, I didn’t lose my shirt, but I broke even on one house and, due to other circumstances, had to walk away from another.

If they pay late now as is, let's say they lose a job or have a temporary loss of income, you're kind of SOL.I would look to build reserves between now and August.

The money you invest needs to be money that you don't need back for at least five years, and to put it bluntly, you can afford to lose it all in the (hopefully unlikely) event that the investment fails. 

if you buy a random property on Zillow and turn it over to people you have never met, you will very likely lose money, get frustrated, and set yourself back.if you're serious i'd pick a market and plan on making several trips there. 

That's 50k a year gone and you are losing tax write-offs and equity potential.

It's a lose lose bro.

As when people lose their jobs, the vacations they take is the first choice to cut back on. 

This property gives me significant income, so losing it would be an extreme loss.

I feel sorry for the people losing everything in the fires , insurance will go up .But I wish I was the guy  driving this bulldozer ;t=162s

Just to beat a dead horse, we could see a recession in the future where you and/or your spouse lose your jobs.