And @Mindy Jensen - might like your eyes on this as well.

Keep an eye on rent growth trends and neighborhood developments, attend local real estate meetups, and connect with other investors through BiggerPockets forums and local Facebook groups.

To both of our surprise, they didn't bat an eye, they immediately accepted our 290k offer.

And this really bothers me because I thought I could be the one to make my family wealthy, but my parents can't seem to see eye-to-eye with me and they'll distrust me even further. 

If you're new to new build construction (or construction in general), I would get a local Architect onboard to be your eyes and ears in taking on the project and helping to assemble your team.

They come in doe-eyed and that's a good thing, but you can't keep them doe-eyed or they will buy swamp land in the Everglades.

I’ve been working in this space for over 20 years, and I’ve seen firsthand how choosing between neighborhoods versus suburbs can significantly impact your returns.City Neighborhoods: Wicker Park, Logan Square, and BridgeportIf you’re eyeing Chicago neighborhoods, I’d suggest considering areas like Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Bridgeport.

Just because you're renting to students, doesn't necessarily make it student housing in the eyes of an insurance company. 

They don't have an eye towards understanding the hidden expenses in how a property is set up.

I'm keeping my eye out of a 4plex to help reduce my, probably unreasonable, fear of vacancy risk but keeping my options open just to get started so a 2 for got my attention.