I'm more concerned about appreciation and equity so I'm willing to trade the cash flow for it, but I don't want to be in a situation where I'm barely breaking even and the stress that comes with it.Looking for ideas how I can tap into that equity to grow my portfolio but still getting some kind of cash flow to be able to make the monthly payments1.

I currently work in the turnkey investment world helping investors create a real estate portfolio, if you are ever interested in trading different strategies and goals, I'd love to connect! 

Quote from @Paul Gupta: Hi, in California, For jobs requiring a license, there was CSLB (contractor state licensing board) which would give either a General Contractor license, or specialty licenses by trade (~60 specialties such as concrete, welding tile, ) https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classific...My Q: does Maryland and DC area have similar requirements? 

But the rental too does have to meet the "active conduct of a trade or business" threshold, which does mean you wouldn't qualify to use section 179 if you have a rental that is managed entirely by someone else and you aren't at least overseeing it and making decisions about the management of it.I mostly disagree with the reply suggesting that you need to have an LLC to take the section 179 deduction. 

With property insurers’ profitability and trade combined ratios improving, we can expect some relief soon.

Both offer unique advantages, but understanding the trade-offs is crucial for making the right decision.

My top priority is having maximum flexibility with what I can invest in within my HSA, second priority is ease of use and convenience of the investing platform, third is minimizing any account, trading, or management fees charged by the HSA provider. 

Find out why, see if you can learn/hire to fix that problem, and you might have found your niche.Do you know anyone or have a family member that is licensed in one of the trades? 

This is public info and usually it will change based on seller being there a long time or something like an elderly tax rate.What are insurance costs like (we've got a lot of local variability around fire insurance for ex.)?

The maximum leverage I have ever seen in trading accounts is 50%, and that's very limited and select.