Quote from @Paul Gupta: Hi, in California, For jobs requiring a license, there was CSLB (contractor state licensing board) which would give either a General Contractor license, or specialty licenses by trade (~60 specialties such as concrete, welding tile, ) https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classific...My Q: does Maryland and DC area have similar requirements? 

I’m still refining my approach there, but having the right team in place is one of the biggest keys to scaling sustainably.Definitely looking forward to staying in touch and exchanging ideas as we both grow in this space.

The key to investing out of state is finding a good property manager.  

@Brendan M Hornung If you purchased a subject-to (sub-to) rental property, filing taxes correctly is key to maximizing deductions and staying compliant.

I live in California (Central Coast) and have built a 12-door portfolio in Detroit, which has been a great market for both cash flow and long-term potential.Detroit still offers properties well below the $150k mark, with strong rent-to-price ratios and a market that’s seeing growth in key areas.

The first hurdle was convincing them to leave via cash for keys.

Open to either somewhat of a fixer upper or turn-key properties.

Sometimes, depending on the size of the loan request a board approval is required which could delay the process further depending on how often the board meets. 

The key is that the gap funder is usually someone you know and have a relationship with.

The key would be making sure to talk to a local banker that can do CRE loans for owner occupied properties as not all banks do them.