@Thomas FarrellRecommend 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?

@Chris Mahoo many new investors don't take the time to properly understand RE investing.1) Many are using approaches from 2010-2018 when Class A property prices were so low from the Great RE Crash that an investor could cashflow and get pretty easy Class A tenants to manage.2) If you look at what investors were doing before 2008-2010, most were buying Class B & C rentals.To make it worth while, an investor either needs to Fix & Flip or invest & hold rentals for 10+ years.- Over a 10 year period cashflow will increase as rents increase (rents typically rise faster than property taxes, insurance, etc.)- The property should be appreciating, if purchased in a good location, increasing the owner's equity/wealth.- Rents will be paying the mortgage off, increasing the owner's equity/wealth.- If you hold a rental until death, you can pass it on with a stepped-up cost basis, limiting captial gains if then sold (limited by inheritance tax limitations).Too many newbies on this site trying to replace their day job income via "passive" real estate investing w/o digging deep enough to understand how it really works.

I closed for both sides and had a chase them round for final signatures.Also might I add the property could be falling down, you basically have to send your staff out to take pictures and videos to send to them to get them to even budge on any price.These homes they have have been sitting a long long time and most cases they are on the city’s list of zombie homes and ready to be demolished, you won’t find that out with no title search and survey, you find that out the day your workers show up to work ready to get this thing back to livable to be met with more money spending ventures.Bottom line.

C-class for cash flow)I agree with @Evan Polaski that you need to know the market inside and out before you invest.

Class C bought in 2023 on the East Side of Indy has not been great, repair calls 9 times out 12 months.

(Previous rent was $1,300 but we're about to put in a brand new kitchen from the studs, new flooring throughout the house, new furance, adding A/C, etc).So do we just pay for it all upfront and mostly drain all of our savings, or do I let the rent pay for it and utilize our other savings to get a second property this spring/summer to increase our cashflow? 

Keep records of everything: texts, emails, photos, videos.

@Allan C. 

I've been informed that completing the course alone may not be sufficient to pass the exam, so I’m seeking advice on how to prepare effectively once I complete it.Currently, my only other resources include a YouTube video, five practice exams, and a textbook.If you have any additional suggestions—whether online or in-person, paid or free—that could help me effectively prepare for the exam, I would greatly appreciate them.

While Pace Morby seems to know his stuff, he puts out incredibly long videos and I didn't have time to sort through all that fluff & didn't want to pay 8k to be in his course.