Part of my issue was not having a reasonably priced handyman ahead of time and eventually overpaying to just get it done and also inexperience as a manager.With that said, you essentially have two options: very cheap properties in less good areas (you're looking at 100k or less--which you might have trouble getting a good lender for)  or trying to do some sort of house hack (e.g. live in flip, live in rent by the room, multifamily) where you budget will be closer to 200k-300k.Personally, I would not look at real estate until you are maxing out your 401k and IRA, but lots of folks have done significantly better with real estate than stocks and would think I'm crazy for suggesting this.

.- Multiple other thriving business district areas (Carlyle / Eisenhower, Potomac Yards, National Landing), but especially Old Town Alexandria, are experiencing massive infrastructure and business development over the next decade, which will greatly boost tax revenue for the city over time.- Generally landlord-friendly state, no rent control- Secure government jobs/contracts make the real estate market much more resilient to recessions / major corrections- 15-minute drive to the Capitol of the United States- 4 Seasons- 15-minute drive to Arlington, Virginia (Amazon Headquarters 2 ((2017 announced, 2030 is bringing 25,000 new high-paying    jobs to the area)), Boeing Headquarters (2022), Microsoft Headquarters (2021), CoStar Headquarters (2024), Bloomberg    Headquarters (2017 expanded), Deloitte, and the list goes on)Thesis:Although more companies continue to go back to the office, there will be a shift toward a good amount of workers being able to be in hybrid roles.

The LLC would essentially serve as a business checking account to collect rental payments from your roommates/tenants and potential write-offs for expenses such as property repairs/maintenance.

So true, unfortunately the fed has essentially kicked the can down the road, repeating volkers mistakes in the 70's.

You may not like their current deals/offerings, but I would call each of them and let them know what you are looking for - essentially your "buy box."

So essentially you can't really judge if the opportunity is right for you because he wouldn't tell you anything about what you could expect down the road & by time you got to that point it was past the time to get your refund. 

Understanding cash flow and expenses is essential.

Having a team in place is essential to long-distance investing.

She interprets this language to mean that only those specific types of damage must be disclosed, and nothing else.Their position is essentially that, since the repairs were completed, they have no obligation to disclose further details.

A good GC is essential, especially for remote projects.