It has been immensely valuable to build our business alongside others who are at very similar places in their real estate journeys!

I loved how it turned out and we made a nice profit but it took longer than expected due to several hiccups along the road (contractor mistakes, not being on top of the project management as much as we should have been, unethical inspectors, etc.). 

Cap rates could continue to get compressed after this little hiccup as more first time investors jump in the game.

Charlotte was actually ranked in the top 10 cities in the world for quality of life, alongside Raleigh, in a recent study from the user-contributed database website Numbeo.

I'm sure that really helps in getting things passed when your running into hiccups.

I did three house hacks (where you live in your rental along side your tenants) My first was an FHA loan on a foreclosed duplex and my first real experience with being a landlord.

One of my favorite parts of being a multifamily broker is educating my clients and staying alongside them with their investment to compare actuals and projected returns.

@Francesco Barbati If you're willing to live alongside others, especially your tenants, I would highly recommend you house hack.

You'd be better-served investing alongside a sponsor that knows what they're doing.  

It's not a solution at all.I inquired with the city about getting a permit for a small gravel driveway (parking pad really) in the front yard, but the city insists that I install a concrete sidewalk on the city's property alongside the street.