They were looking for direction on where to start in the real estate process, and I tried my best to give them the information on what I would do in their shoes if they didn't have the funds to pay realtor commissions, closing costs, repairs and everything associated with getting the house sold.

It's not exactly a "fair" assumption but you have to put yourself in the shoes of an owner who's being solicited on a platform where it takes about 3 minutes to create a fake profile and/or pretend to be someone else.  

My point in spelling out the above is that if I were in your shoes, my honest opinion is that I'd do my homework and be as wide-eyed and intentional as one can be in terms of where and what I purchased.Both of the Christian's in this thread made a good point that jives with what I'm getting at.

I was in your shoes in 2009.  

I've been in your shoes.

Hi Billy,Sounds like an ok deal to get your feet wet.As you listed out there are pros and cons to the nicer areas vs lower cost areas to invest...the biggest challenge others face in your shoes is actually pulling the trigger and getting the first deal on the books.

If I were in your shoes, I might opt for a 10% increase every 6 months pending it's legally an option. 10% typically is a nuisance, but not enough to move.

If I were in your shoes, my advice is to start on a turnkey, get your feet wet, turnkeys will require maintenance and rehab as long as you continue to own them too.

In short, put yourself in the other person's shoes - would you want to be in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and etc position?!

Would you even bother in my shoes?