I'm always too burned out and exhausted at the end of the day to be productive so this is a great alternative. 

BTW, i work a good full time job so i do not need the cash flow to live on.Thanks in advance for any help and I would respectfully ask that we stay on topic ( no contacts or comments on "helping" me get a 30 yr fixed...please assume that effort is exhausted...for now at least)

So you'll end up exhausting the repair account, and dipping into your operating or personal account, thus making the accounting very confusing come tax time. 

Are they just far enough away from a metro area where a day trip would be exhausting, but a weekend trip would be worth it?

@Jeff Sechrest I tend to agree - if you’re buying homes in the $2k to $6k range that are already 90%+ depreciated, your payback period on your cash outlay is probably 2 years or so and then you have cashflow until the unit has exhausted all of its value.

If you are planning on adding additional assets in the near future, then go with the higher projected numbers.Keep in mind, in the event of any liability claim (at fault auto accident / someone getting hurt on one of your properties, many more situations) your underlying policy will be 1st in line, then your umbrella will kick in once the underlying policy is exhausted.

I feel the investment climate has changed radically since my last post and wanted to get some advice on the safest places (diversification, I believe, is key) to park the remaining cash that would generate enough passive income to semi-retire (these recent deaths have left me emotionally and physically exhausted and I feel I need a year or two to recover on a beach somewhere).

If the issue is lining a chimney for exhaust for furnace or water heater talk to a good HVAC guy. 

The solution coming out of the GFC in 2009 (massive debt injections), won't work now.. that's exhausted - and the bond markets are telling us this.Here is a link to a recent great podcast by the brilliant Dr.

I am living paycheck to paycheck and have nearly exhausted my cash savings.