thanks for your time and help 1st off, full disclosure here, Rent To Retirement advertises their properties on my Investment Properties For Sale Show, so I am not a totally unbiased opinion and it's only fair that I tell you this up frontHaving said that, outside of running my show for people like them, I also own a property management company in Northeast Ohio and have worked with 1,000's of out of state investors over the years.I say all of that to say this, the overwhelming majority of negative reviews I have seen on them are very similar to a lot of negative experiences investors have with my property management company and others like it that I've worked with.

@Luke Hamlin you can buy a second home with 10% down with a Conventional loan.

Since we will be investing remotely, we plan to work with a property management company to oversee day-to-day operations.Does this sound like a solid strategy for a first investment property?

A couple of months ago, I purchased a property using a hard money loan for $115,000.

Conventional loan.

Hey @Dalton Foote - I highly suggest  using a renovation loan and house hacking a multi-family if that is possible with your current life circumstances.The 203k and homestyle renovation loans are just amazing products and drastically help you reduce your risk, in my opinion, because you are able to leverage the cost of the entire renovation with such a low down payment loan.We work with a lot of clients who use these products in Chicago, and no matter what, in the long term, they gain great equity.If you aren't able to house hack - the process is essentially the same, but just with more money down with hard money or conventional construction loan.

House hacking is a great starting strategy, especially with FHA loans.

Let's say you borrow $100,000 to pay off your $50,000 IRA loan, $25,000 on credit cards, and keep $25,000 for finishing renovations.

I'd also partner with a lending company that understands how this is going work, and what your plans are.And last, but not least, I'd partner with a CPA to help navigate you to the ways of working this properly. 

The insurance company will send you copy of the tenant declaration page proving coverage, and they will notify you if the tenant ever cancels the policy or allows it to lapse.HOW TO SHARE UTILITIES 101You have a property with two or more units and the utility meters are shared.