There is no such absolute rule or mandate for REI - it is up to you on your comfort level with your cash flow versus total investment versus appreciation potential.If I followed that rule, I would have missed out on a LOT of great opportunities over the years.We bought a house in Jones Valley in 2017 with negative cash flow - why? 

Quote from @John Winters: Greetings BP ~I am hoping to receive some feedback on the financial feasibility of this plan and/or some tips to improve it. 

What are current loan terms today versus 2 months from now versus in 2 yrs?  

You have to weigh the benefit of the insurance claim payment versus potentially having your carrier cancel you and perhaps get black-balled by the insurance industry.

This gives much better diversification protection across geographies, asset types, strategies, investment subclasses etc. versus putting all the eggs into one basket.The downside is that it's not for everyone, and a person has to be comfortable with turning over control to someone else.

Spear's comments about required capital improvements as they relate to rent increases and a captive audience/ trailer trash mentality. 

Purchase price: $250,000 Cash invested: $14,000 I purchased and managed a rental property in Chicago, focusing on strategic improvements and tenant satisfaction to increase both its value and profitability.

No one can answer that because we don't know what market you are in and what your list price is versus the actual value, as well as the scale of the town.When something hasn't sold in 50 days, it's overpriced.

In short, I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth pursuing an off-market seller financing deal versus getting a traditional loan and competing for the property on the open market.

I find that cash flow is very important so that I don’t have to come “out of pocket” to pay for major improvements / repairs