Look for books published in the last 2 years as some of the books post 2010 seem to give people unrealistic expectations.

You don't know that.When I hire a contractor I expect them to pull permits.

Expect 30-year fixed terms for the most part.

Expecting big cash flow in multifamily apartments right now is kind of a fool's errand because if you find it it's probably in an area that won't be kind for out of state ppl with a third party property manager. 

I have gotten a seller's credit for my 3 existing units but to be conservative, I will assume I am paying full closing costs here.At the moment, I have ~$25k in a HYSA and expect to save another $10k from my W-2 before I start putting offers in.

PMs can minimize their suffering from unrealistic expectations by showing comparable properties that are on the market for rent and having a discussion with the landlord as to how their property compares and how his property can be more attractive to renters.Landlords are running a business. 

I wasn’t expecting this at all, and I’m trying to figure out what to do.

Originally posted by @Michael Kinsella:I would second what @Jay Hinrichs said above...there was a follow up post where someone got a loan from them but for realistic rates 8% or so and few points.. under 6% private / hard money simply does not exist unless its a family friends type situation. that bank rates or lower right now for new construction or fix flip Generally speaking, I would be highly skeptical of rates under 8% for a hard money bridge-type scenario.Hard money lenders are getting their capital from somewhere, and those investors are expecting to earn a reasonable yield.

I have 2 options:- finance the construction pre-selling the apt, and take my profits (expected to be around 700K pre-tax); or- finance the construction with a 6-7%/year loan (collateral = my house), keep the 10 units, and once the building is completed in 24 months, rent them for circa 180K/ year gross.

Also, set clear expectations with tenants upfront so they know how to handle issues like maintenance requests.How do you plan on finding all your contractors?