@Stan MendozaRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

@David YoungRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Some background:I got into REI to earn enough income from rentals to replace my W2.

For example, I mention that every adult must pay a $XX application fee, pass my credit/criminal background, make a combined income of 3x the rent, and whether or not the property accepts pets.

AppFolio is great for property managers, but investors often use Stessa, REI Hub, or Buildium for tracking income, expenses, and tax reporting.

Don't be suckered into buying cheap properties - unelss you know exactly what you are getting into.Here's some copy & paste advice that applies to just about any Midwest rental market:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

@Luis Cerwin as others have stated, Nov - Jan is the worst time of year to have a vacancy.Majority of tenants live paycheck-to-paycheck, so all their income goes to Holiday spending starting with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then xmas, then NYE.January is also historically the worst month for rent payments due to Holiday Hangover Spending.

This way, you can offset other income and potentially reduce your tax liability.I recommend discussing your options with a tax professional who can provide personalized advice based on your overall financial picture.

Investing in real estate is a great way to generate passive income and wealth if you are in a position to do so.

One good thing about building a 2-4 unit as a primary is you less money down and you can use the other units as income to help build a more expensive home.FHA allows for a higher loan amount as you get into the 2, 3 and 4 unit homes and its still only 3.5% down.