It depends on your financial strength, the quality of the property, how many properties you own, etc.I like to start with one significant expense and three months of vacancy.

For 2025 I will be taking a leave from my fulltime W2 work start 1st July for rest of the year.

We’re hoping to start small and are looking at markets, such as Buffalo or Rochester, NY.

It started small, just helping to draft LOI's, running down property leads, making calls, but the important thing was just getting in and DOING it. 

By purchasing a multi-unit property, living in one unit, and renting out the others, you can cover your mortgage payments and start building equity while gaining rental income.

Hey DenisI have commented a lot about arbitrage in a general sense here, however I believe I am uniquely qualified to answer here as I live and operate about 65 units in this specific market.In 2016 I got my STR start arbitraging a Gulf Front mansion that was in foreclosure and I got a great deal on. 

I'd recommend starting with books $10-$20 gets you 90% of the info you need.

I mentor a few investors especially just starting.  

The 70% rule is a good starting point, but also factor in local market trends and high-ROI upgrades like kitchen and bathroom updates, modern flooring, and curb appeal.

Highly suggest checking out the local meetup groups: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...Our monthly meetup is tomorrow, so that might be a great place to start!