I remember back when I was ramping up my own rental portfolio in those early-2000s San Diego days, I learned the hard way that ignoring “little” costs..like that termite treatment or the property manager’s onboarding fee..can turn what looked like a sweet deal into something that barely breaks even.Let’s say you pick up a property in one of those under-the-radar neighborhoods in Omaha or maybe on the south side of Chicago..markets I’ve seen a few colleagues dabbling in lately..you’ve got to be ready to get real about the numbers.

Pick your favorite, I have found Realtor.com to be the most accurate and I get the alerts there first.

or even more.not saying you're considering going that far out but just using an example that i can speak to.my actionable step for you after picking a market would be: make a trip to that market every month and network in person. 

Now understand, I am not picking on you, I am simply explaining the process you are going  into.

(@Jonathan Greene DM us if you'd like to chat about them)Regarding turnkey in Metro Detroit, haven't seen anyone do it the right way:( We've picked up dozens of their clients that fire them due to poor tenant performance and nonstop repairs on their "turnkey" properties. 

I’ve been in the real estate game for over two decades, and I’ve had my fair share of experiences with PM companies... some stellar, others not so much.Here’s what I’d suggest:Start Local: In OC, there’s a lot of value in picking a PM company that knows the ins and outs of the area.

Pick the amount of income you want real estate to provide you, and buy the amount of units you'd need, such that if they were paid off, you'd hit your goal.

Unfortunately, we picked a bad time, because a game just finished, and people were streaming out of Wrigley Field.

I think those are all good picks.

This tax lien investment looks like a win win situation once you pick a good deal.