Going direct saves you and the seller money, giving you a lower cost to entry which helps all your numbers, but you have to put in the extra work to find that deal.

They like extra room to avoid accidents, etc....Just my $0.02....

Class C and D areas/properties will always cash flow better on paper, but on paper things like extra repairs, turnover, evictions and such are often not taken into account. 

That way you wouldn't need an extra policy.

If appreciation is slow and steady, and no extra liquidity is available, the basic fundamentals of personal finance do catch up to this investor.

I'm also working on a Google Data Analyst certification to bring in some extra income while I'm home with our 19-month-old daughter.I'm still pretty new to this, though, and I'm not sure where to start or if I'm on the right track.

With an extra vacancy or a maintenance issue or an extra turnover, this is definitely a negative cash flow producing investment.So when you say the rent growth and value growth have exceeded your expectations, I would love to have you respond as to how that is possibly the case. 

I ASSUME you’re talking $400+ in extra expenses for providing water, power, sewer, gas, internet, communal area cleaning, and exterior maintenance.

Before you close, can the rent from your buddy and the midterm tenant cover your mortgage, taxes, insurance, plus a bit extra?

Quote from @Chris Seveney: Quote from @Jason Monaco: I listened to the webinar....more bad news. supposedly the company that was handling the pay off of the loan sold more assets than they should have and kept the extra moneys made on the sales.