Get out of your comfort zone.

My ultimate goal is to acquire enough real estate to achieve financial freedom, allowing me to travel, provide a comfortable life for my family, and teach my children about discipline, financial literacy, and the wealth-building potential of real estate.I’m here to learn, share, and connect with others who share this passion.

I'd rely on her to handle much of the day-to-day management.Given this, we're leaning toward a single-family home where we can comfortably rent a room to someone we trust.

When i was younger I used to help her with renovations on some of these properties.I asked her about 2 years ago why she never went multifamily and she said that she was afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone and wanted to stick with what she had known and done forever.

I'd recommend searching by zip and interviewing an agent or two to see who you're most comfortable with.

The lessons you learned the hard way in 2008 will be invaluable now, and it’s great that you’re aiming to stay small-scale and within your comfort zone of Sacramento, which gives you an advantage of knowledge in that market.Given your experience, I'd say start by focusing on three key areas to build confidence and minimize risks:Budget Control: Over-renovating was one of the big mistakes you mentioned.

Get out of your comfort zone.

There is no such absolute rule or mandate for REI - it is up to you on your comfort level with your cash flow versus total investment versus appreciation potential.If I followed that rule, I would have missed out on a LOT of great opportunities over the years.We bought a house in Jones Valley in 2017 with negative cash flow - why? 

Just make sure you guys are comfortable with the area before pulling the trigger.

Covering this with my salary is relatively comfortable.