It's a balance of cashflow and wealth accumulation.One of the goals is to have tenants pay as much of your cost-of-ownership as possible (loans, taxes, insurance, etc.)In high-cost areas, any Class A or B property you buy will usually negative cashflow for the first 3-5 years, until rents rise enough to cover the negative cashflow + rising taxes & insurance.Investing OOS increases your risks because you may not know the market and you can't check on everything/everyone all the time.If you move forward with your buddies, HIGHLY recommend creating a solid Partnership Agreement!

There is a lot of stuff to cover, so try to make as much time for it as you can while working your W2. 

A fair entry point seems closer to $225,000-$250,000, but the terms of financing could justify going slightly higher if cash flow can cover the payments.

A good rule of thumb is to have at least $5 to $10K in reserves per unit to cover these situations and avoid financial strain.Thank you for the reply and help!

@Trevor McCormick to piggyback off what others have said, determine if you are trying to maximize it as an investment or utilize it as a vacation home you will STR to help cover expenses, as this could dictate which type of property you are looking for. 

You can use your own funds, use a HELOC or do a cash out refinance to cover the costs.

**Tenant Screening**: The Section 8 program will cover a tenant's rent, but that doesn’t mean you should skip tenant screening.

If multifamily properties in your area are priced well, it might be worth moving forward sooner rather than later.Risk Tolerance: Since you’re the sole provider, it’s crucial to ensure you have a solid emergency fund to cover unforeseen expenses, especially during vacancies or repairs.Long-Term Goals: Think about how this investment fits into your long-term financial goals.

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

We’ve also expanded into Ohio, covering areas like Cleveland, Columbus, and the surrounding cities.One of our first flips was a trailer out in Mt.