But, they will be in challenging parts of town where realistically you do not want to own property and your long-run returns will under-perform.I'd encourage you to find a balance of sub-market growth, nearby employment, strong income, and only then a good rent-to-value ratio. 

I'm not sure I would want to be in a blind pool fund at seemingly a late inning stage at this point in the cycleFinally, if you're an average Joe wanting exposure to this sector I would strongly suggest taking a look at the public REITs as an alternative. 

Sharon, thanks for sharing these stats—Houston is clearly holding strong!

@Josh LansberryIt’s exciting that you’re ready to take action in the Raleigh/Research Triangle market, an area with strong growth potential.

Quote from @Keegan Felix: This is all very new to me, but I started listening to the BP podcast about a month ago and realized I have a strong interest in real estate investing.

A while back you ripped on my style of slow and steady long term investing in buy and hold real estate with low down payment conventional loans because it's not as fast as your style and the potential of cash on cash returns isn't as high.

It's a relationship game more than anything, so if you're building strong relationships with them and providing a consistent product, you'll be golden.

Ask yourself if you’re confident you can achieve a higher return by putting that money into another property or investment.Reserves: Do you have a strong emergency fund?

It’s that simple.If you want success, you need a strong web presence—a place where the right audience can find you when they need your services.Think about it.

I'll make sure to get out of my comfort zone and build a strong network.