After spending all day dodging junk mail, junk e-mail, junk texts, and junk phone calls I have very little energy left for junk BP posts!

You will be spending 350-400K for a duplex.

Let the money stack up until you either want to buy another SFH and do the same thing, or decide to spend it on a Ferrari.Just my 2 cents.I can’t argue.  

@Max Dauer just remember that even tho you may only spend a few hours a week actually working on them or dealing with guests, you are always on call.

I’m returning to the U.S. after spending a few years overseas, and I’m eager to start my journey in real estate investing.Once I’m back, I have a job lined up with a wholesaling company where I’ll be focusing on buying houses.

This greatly helps me to be location independent and spend good amount of time in India.

I'd also spend some money in direct marketing to get more sellers, and either wholesale those deals or buy them myself.

Had to spend additional money to get everything fixed.  

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

What's left after all that is your cash flow.Collecting cash flow to spend is an amateur play.