My preference is to own a property, and to rent it out eventually, house hack, etc.

No renovations, but cashflow negative (wont hire property manager anymore just to breakeven) @$170-18503. 1031 and buy in WA where we can manage on our ownSame problems with others, we have limited cash available. if we do buy on WA , few concerns are:We are intermittently rehabbing our current home to be rented as Nursing Home eventually hopefully in 2 yrs. home in WA are more expensive and would need higher downpayment and it would be challenging for us because our DTI is high already, we would have do to a dscr thats 100k++ DPSorry for the lengthy post, hope to hear from you!

This is an example of someone violating law to make more money, and it could eventually come back to bite them.

However, I eventually started to let pets in after my property manager convinced me to do so. 

I use the free version but eventually will get the Pro.  

I will eventually flip it once its cash flowing well and 1031 into something a bit bigger.

Now is just one point in time and one can make permanent judgements based on the perceived current situation but that might be shortsighted.As far as the politics and legal framework, yeah it can be a pain, but for those who understand it, it eventually becomes a competitive advantage.

The didn't live within their means, accrued a lot of debt, and it eventually resulted in them not paying rent and being evicted.Consolidating debt reduces their payments so they have more money available, but it doesn't automatically teach them to live within their means.

Finding which of those strategies works best for you, your goals and interests could help you speed up your investment journey while gaining experience, confidence and eventually expertise in your chosen area. 

All prices eventually go up.