.: Quote from @Don Solt: Hi folks, As the topic states I'm looking to learn everything I can about the City of Philadelphia and its real-estate market.

I recently acquired my first primary residence and am seeing ways I can best utilize the space for real estate investing.

yup they did a real rehab..  

"The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" by Gary Keller teaches the same thing and is a good read.

I have bought and sold several properties across Chicago and Barrington area over the past seven years, and was a real estate agent for 2 years in my early twenties.

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

Don't give up the pursuit.Fail fast works better in software than in real estate: reset the server, push a patch, etc. 

Organizational Delays: Section 8 offices are often overworked and understaffed, leading to slow processing times for new tenants, delayed rent increase approvals, and poor responsiveness.Benefits of Section 8:1.Long-Term Tenants: When you get a good tenant, they usually stay for a long time because of the tedious process required to qualify for Section 8 housing.2.Consistent Income: If Section 8 covers most or all of the rent, you typically receive reliable monthly payments, reducing the risk of non-payment (as long as there isn’t a large tenant portion).3.Lower Barrier to Entry: Because properties in these areas are often more affordable, it’s a good way for new investors to break into real estate without needing a large amount of capital.Overall, I’ve seen the good and the bad of this strategy.

Here are some coming on BP: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...We have a list of a lot more investor meetups that I will happily share with you. 

The challenges in real estate teach you invaluable lessons that you might not gain otherwise.I also invest in Chicago, so I have a few thoughts in response to the questions you raised.