But it's tolerable if you stay on them and just expect that things take time.

Are there dogs in the yard when you have a no-pet policy?

that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

One other market-wide factor I’d throw in is local government policies.

This would mean you wouldn't have anything out of pocket.They could surprise you and offer to do all owner financing or do it for a few years with a balloon payment.I made an 3 offers on a house and to my surprise the owner gave us all owner financing with a small downpayment and zero percent interest. 

The 2005 loan shows it as a first lien so I assume they cleared the history somehow but they are unwilling to share the policy.

And yeah Marquette, MI is an appreciating market and a college town where everyone complains about increasing rents (and their bad landlords).Hopefully I can still find a few properties that can cash flow anything, no matter how small, with zero down but I'll have to see if they'll pass VA inspection too.

In fact I have a no PITA policy, which means if you violate it you are probably getting a rent increase at next renewal opportunity, which might be next month if you are on M2M.

Be sure to factor in management complexity, market research, and your risk tolerance as you evaluate options.Without a W-2, HELOC approval can be tricky, but some lenders will work with retired individuals, mainly if you can document stable income (rental income, retirement funds, etc.).

:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.