The small markets won't appreciate much but cash flow well.I'm not against house hacking in the bigger markets either, but my hometown market seems very profitable cash flow-wise.

And there are landlords who only care about maximizing profit and nothing else.

You track all of your expenses the same way irrespective of profitability. 

Is that process too complicated, yes, but there is nothing in this decision that will prevent a tax sale purchaser in MD from reselling at a profit after obtaining the property by foreclosing the right of redemption.

Also measure the profit per door and fix or sell the dogs.

As a broker, I "buy" a mortgage at a discount from a direct wholesale lender, then mark it up and "sell" it to my client to make a profit.

Ownership and profit-sharing can be split based on contributions, with you possibly earning equity through sweat equity.

I have partnerships where I take a management fee off of topline and split profits from bottom line.

Look for ways to increase profits but without cutting corners.

There are several hurdles during the process:Find the deal - Unless you are marketing or plugged into a community where there are opportunities, it isn't always easy to find the right dealsEvaluate the deal - Without professional guidance and research tools, it is difficult for a newbie investor to evaluate and ARV/FMV or create an adequate rehab budgetSecondary exit strategies - If things don't go as planned are their other opportunities to exit profitably.