Thanks to COVID, for a couple of years, you can actually make enough money to be cash flow positive even if you hire a property manager AND have mortgage payments. 

Also we felt we were going to make more self managing than with the payments they were offering.

In short, I can afford the additional $1100/mo cost of a second house, even until I rent it out.I have around $35K in HYSA and emergency funds that I could use for a down payment, but that's less than 20% which would be required for a conventional loan, assuming full purchase price.

If you can't trust anyone in Portland, then that's a whole issue... 

They are more useful IMO for getting chunks of equity right off the bat thru value add and then either realizing that equity by flipping it and using for a down payment on something bigger or hold a couple years and then sell at that point to do that then. 

Even at that price point, you may struggle to find a tenant, potentially leaving the property vacant for months.Here’s an example of a deal I’m currently working on:Purchase Price: $215,000Rehab Costs: ~$250,000ARV: ~$615,000Potential Rent: $3,600/monthUsing a $615,000 ARV and 75% LTV on the cash out refinance, with taxes and insurance, my monthly payment would be $4,267 using an 8.5% rate.

It will be very difficult to cash flow in Austin using traditional LTR methods unless you put down a huge down payment.

Purchase price: $640,000 Cash invested: $220,000 Purchase price $640,000Got it at this price because there is a non-paying tenant in unit 2 (rent value $3,500), we're in court Rehab $60,000All in cash (rehab plus down payment) $217,500Rehab included ground level basement and 2 parking spot drivewayMonthly cash flow $1,500 ARV $950,000Equity $470,000Refi cash out (August 2024) $150,000 (used to buy new rental)New monthly cash flow breaking even (non-paying tenant still in unit 2)New equity about $200,000

If you do have enough other income then you dont even need to lease out this property to start your refinance.However if you dont have enough income to qualify with no rental income offset then yes you will need to obtain your lease(s) and security deposit + 1st months rents deposited before you can utilize 75% of this gross income - your monthly PITIA payment (in terms of qualification on this property refinance.So all in all Id make sure what your current debt to income position is first of all (DTI) and then strategize to see if you even need the leases at all.

100% of the deals I've done with Safeguard have had late payments and/or major issues.