I think the real estate professional strategy works if it is your primary source of income.   

In the end it will all work out.

It was one of my first claims and I learned how their claim system works and never failed again. 

Real estate investing has been a passion of mine for time with my mother also having invested early on where I likely have gotten the love and desire to follow similar foot steps.I have taken last 6 months to educate myself and currently own a single family home as primary residence and would like to expand to multi family properties (2-4 units) for additional stream of income, not to mention potential tax benefits for long-term investing.Based on current living situation, I have a fair amount of equity established in my primary residency along with having enough cash to either pay off house completely or use towards investing in a multi family property.Given that I'm the sole source of income for our household with my wife being the home maker for our two kids under 2, trying to weigh out risks with getting started now or perhaps waiting. 

@Tricia O'BrienRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

In terms of performance, I will be honest with you: it all comes down to your source of lists, the way you set up your campaigns, and last but not least, your templates.

This experience has provided me with a strong foundation in acquisitions, valuations, and deal sourcing.

You should never let someone into a unit without written evidence that you have authorization to do so from the lessee. 

Appreciation is never part of the cash on cash calculation.FWIW, I would talk to a CPA before turning an appreciated home into a rental. 

I have never had to send money before a closing and neither should you.