The houses I have and the ones that I will have in the next few years will all (hopefully) be paid off right around the time I hit my chosen retirement date.  

Although I plan to eventually employ a hybrid model, a couple primary reasons that I have chosen to pay cash is that it essentially reduces purchase price and ongoing costs as well as often you can obtain an overall lower purchase price .  

Also, after some research I am reconsidering the school I have chosen.

Partners and investors are a bit different for me.First, partners are very valuable but must be chosen wisely.

I've chosen to go with nicer neighborhoods as local investors and property management companies have pushed me in that direction.

i just don't see how that's a good use of your entire RE budget, and/or liquidating other investments to not get a return.i am encouraged that you said that you plan to fly to the chosen market in person, but one or two trips just isn't going to get you very much. 

After about 8 months of studying and researching and familiarizing ourselves with real estate investment, my start up investment team has chosen to make our first investment in Tulsa, OK.  

That said, I do have a simple scope of work, materials list, chosen finishes and a timeline. 

It'll either confirm you've chosen the right niche or it'll let you know early on you need to look at something else.

In looking for alternatives, we have chosen the Tampa Bay Area to focus on, primarily because we have ‘boots on the ground’ and some familiarity with the location.