@Matt RollinsSince your goal is to replace your W2 income through real estate within 10 years, starting with a house hack is a smart move, but Utah’s high prices may make it challenging to cash flow.

So many variables can turn a deal sideways from 1 hour to the next - i.e. inspection findings, title issues, contracts, financing issues, taxes, dept. of buildings/local municipalities, etc.I'm glad to hear you made it through the challenges, and it sounds like you'll be able to leverage this experience as you grow your portfolio.All the best to you along your journey!

The challenge with unsafe areas is (1) potentially higher cost of maintenance such as broken windows, etc. and (2) this is by no means meant to be discriminatory but anecdotally from people I've spoken to the challenging tenants tend to be at the lower price points.

Challenges?

So, lots of challenges and risk but you could actually end up with a good deal.

Insurance challenges are growing nationwide, not just in California.

Knowing the rent will likely show up each month—even if the tenant has challenges—removes a lot of the uncertainty that can come with rentals.The people listing this apartment as a “Section 8 property” are likely trying to target buyers who value that stability.

While this can maximize leverage and ROI, challenges include getting lender approval for seller financing, high carrying costs, and the pressure of short-term loans.

I did find it a bit cumbersome to sign up with Apartments.com and it was somewhat challenging for my tenants too.

Hey man that's a challenging situation.