@Todd Anderson totally agree on finding a mentor in the market to learn from.

There are no laws restricting mark-to-market rents. 

It is not that good at the price point of DC or in my market (but better than my market).  

Then the turnkey operator sells the property at the market value to the investor who pays market price of around $200,000.

From my experience, cities like Greenville, Columbia, Augusta, Huntsville, Chattanooga, and Jacksonville offer strong house-hacking opportunities with growing job markets, solid rental demand, and affordable multi-family options.

Campus housing has been under tremendous headwinds for the last 4 years.These properties were sold with extremely aggressively optimistic projections, as well as a price that represented a significant premium to fair market value.So sorry to hear about your investment.

Good potential for appreciation/rent growth upside as well in the next 5-10 years in my opinion with the market still being one of the most affordable in the country.

No one has a "crystal ball" to time the market perfectly. 

Until the lease ends and then the legal notice time in your market has passed.

For those who have or had section 8 investments (especially in my market) how would you describe your experience?