Part of my issue was not having a reasonably priced handyman ahead of time and eventually overpaying to just get it done and also inexperience as a manager.With that said, you essentially have two options: very cheap properties in less good areas (you're looking at 100k or less--which you might have trouble getting a good lender for)  or trying to do some sort of house hack (e.g. live in flip, live in rent by the room, multifamily) where you budget will be closer to 200k-300k.Personally, I would not look at real estate until you are maxing out your 401k and IRA, but lots of folks have done significantly better with real estate than stocks and would think I'm crazy for suggesting this.

So essentially you can't really judge if the opportunity is right for you because he wouldn't tell you anything about what you could expect down the road & by time you got to that point it was past the time to get your refund. 

The key element is :"the intent of which is the transfer of title"in law, the intent can be the determining factor, it doesn't have to actually occur or be done in a specific manner.You can speed because you have your foot down too hard on the pedal or you can speed because you are going down hill.

Essentially he's (Michael Lush) peddling using a HELOC to completely refinance your mortgage and then using it as a checking/savings account.

Understanding cash flow and expenses is essential.

Having a team in place is essential to long-distance investing.

Imo, this is the critical element.

So true, unfortunately the fed has essentially kicked the can down the road, repeating volkers mistakes in the 70's.

A good GC is essential, especially for remote projects.

We are excited, at times frustrated, and have a healthy level of anxiety, but all of those elements were expected from the start.I'll try to keep this thread updated, as it has always been helpful for me to read others' experiences.