Readers should seek professional advice. 

After seeing the power of financing and understanding how loans can help make real estate deals like this happen, I knew I wanted to be a part of it professionally.

Of course you would want to do the latter. 

Readers should seek professional advice.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Absolutely - East Hill is a really popular area for traveling heath care professionals, as well as military on short term TDY orders who are looking for furnished stays.Keys to success for my condo have been keeping the furniture fresh, and not looking like every other listing out there.

Readers are advised to seek professional advice.

@John Zhang If your wife qualifies for Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) and materially participates in managing rental properties, there is no limit on the amount of rental losses, including depreciation, that can offset your W-2 income.

Readers should seek professional advice.

I would consider them to be more of a consultancy than a turnkey provider, and as such I think they provide tremendous value.Of course I could do all the legwork from scratch - research markets and properties, find lenders, get home inspectors and insurance and property managers and so forth - but RTR has already done all that and has far more experience and knowledge than I do.