Happy to chat...being a local GC takes out a lot of the risk of the biggest variable for most investors (unpredictable rehab costs) and also allows you to consider more options than the average investor, with your rehab costs being significantly lower.

To transition to multi-family properties, research landlord-friendly states like Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Indiana with favorable eviction laws, lower taxes, and higher rental demand.

Even in a lower priced investment property, like a small SFR, what does the investor without a contingency fund do when say the ac or a furnace need replacement?  

Since I have a fixed-rate mortgage, I understand this wouldn’t lower my monthly payment but would shorten the loan term by reducing the principal faster.

As you know, marketing and price are both very important, and vacancy will significantly impact your income, so you are almost always better off charging a lower price and getting it filled with a good tenant.  

One of the things I'm trying to figure out is if I'm better off getting a few lower cost properties or on higher priced property. 

Don't go for the cheapest (unless the price is lower because it is on sale), but also don't go for the most expensive. 

I paid about $1500 in closing costs between title, appraisal, etc, but the original loan was wiped out in favor of a new lower rate. 

For $10K and a lower rate I'd be willing to consider delaying...but only if I knew that lender two was solid on closing in a relatively short timeframe.

I'm also considering Halethorpe because it's a good commuter location.Some people really like supporting the city in which case , northeast Baltimore would seem to the best place to buy a single family, in my opinion given the taxes situation and given that none of those areas are walkable I’d rather just be in the county and pay Lower taxes, and it’s not like northeast Baltimore is much that much cheaper than Baltimore county, hathorpe is mixed, arbutus is nice, I hate the housing stock there, would rather be in Catonsville if I was considering western Baltimore county.