I’m just trying to figure out where to start in terms of figuring out what makes sense.

BUT - - man I saw all the new developments and I figured "ok, we're overbuilt....great".      

When you first go to the gym, you may not have the figure you want, but staying with it over a period of time will get you the return you are looking for. 

You need income to qualify for loans, you can learn how to manage rentals well (something most landlords never do), you will figure out which communities/properties make the best investments, can earn an above-average paycheck, and may even find some investment properties before they hit the market.

Figure out the cost to sell, usually 5% to the real estate agent, sometimes a "concession" fee, and other closing costs.

@Chase AlexanderRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

From there, I try to figure out why this house isn't selling, and if I'm still interested I'll make an offer at a price that works at my numbers.Other than that, yes I think it is a great idea to dig deeper into more creative methods of finding deals - wholesalers, direct mail, door knocking, networking, etc.

Paying cash is safe and admirable, but it totally takes away this strongest tool of real estate investing.If I asked you if you could figure out a way to earn a higher rate of return than 7%, then you should be pulling equity out and rolling it into another.

Based on that number of units I would expect much higher figures - did you buy these buildings all/mostly cash?

One thing I’ve realized about real estate is that it’s less about “knowing everything” and more about figuring things out as you go.