Treat this property as a business and factor in all the associated expenses, including mortgage payments (if you pull a loan), maintenance, and potential vacancy periods.To simplify management and make this less of a hands-on job, I’d strongly recommend working with a property management company.

My main goal is it be able to retire at age 40 from my main job and work entirely on my real estate portfolio.

So I get this referral from a relative about a tenant who has good credit score, no criminal history, and a good paying job.

If they have excellent credit, great job history, great references and you met them and got a good feel. 

Hey Rajesh:I looked all over the west coast and couldn't find much in terms of markets/job growth/other infrastructure dev that showed appreciation and cash flow (both) would be very good.

Bank of America’s business credit cards seem better, but I’d need to hit their Preferred Rewards status to reduce fees, which might be challenging.Amex: I like Amex’s reputation and services, but their outgoing wire fees are higher, which is a downside given how many wires I send.My ideal solution would be a business account with minimal wire transfer fees (especially outgoing wires) and a solid business credit card option, preferably with no foreign transaction fees.What would you recommend for someone like me who does a lot of outgoing wires and occasional foreign transactions?

I work 2 jobs. 1 to live off, and the other for down payments.

It might be helpful to narrow down your options by focusing and researching for markets with strong rental demand, growing job markets, and property prices that fit within your budget.

This will increase the return above what can be obtained on a passive investment.The flipside of having the power to control everything is that it can be alot of work (and a full-time job if a person is putting in sweat equity).

Good job 4's are the way to go!