@Michael AddisonIf you're just getting started in Cleveland I would recommend being in areas on the West Side of Cleveland like West Blvd, Cudell, Old Brooklyn, Clark Fulton, Edgewater, Jefferson, and Brooklyn Centre.

Since you're open to markets beyond NYC, you might want to connect with local investor meetups or REI groups in those areas to build relationships with agents, wholesalers, and lenders who understand the nuances of each market.If you're looking to break out of analysis paralysis, maybe start by narrowing down one or two target markets and running numbers on actual deals.

Once youve got a few months of experience and everything is stable, start looking for the next one.

Deals and partnerships started flowing in when we focused on providing value first rather than chasing transactions.What’s been the biggest shift in your approach since getting clear on your long-term goals?

Focus on absentee owners and start with the ones who live the farthest away and only own one property in the area since they have the least use for the property.You can also drive for dollars, looking for anomalies of disrepair and then look them up in the tax records and use a site like Spokeo to do cheap skip tracing.

If you're going to start in a market you're eventually going to live in, I think that's a stronger case for that market."

The January 2025 report from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) shows stable housing prices and balanced market conditions in the Austin metro as we start the new year.

House hacking a 2-4 unit property with FHA (3.5% down) or Conventional (5% down) can be a smart way to start, while DSCR loans or partnerships can help if you need alternative financing.

Why does PM start promoting the property only after existing tenant moved out and property fixed (small repairs)?

You have an excellent jump start- the VA loan is such an amazing tool to get the ball rolling.