I don’t mind starting slow as long as I’m building a solid foundation.I try to value things correctly so if my plan is fundamentally wrong let me know and I’ll go back to the books.

@Mike DavisUnless I'm misunderstanding you completely, there is a fundamental flaw in the method.Just running through one more scenario: seller increases the asking price to $3M.

————————-/////I fundamentally don’t believe that 1031’s are a useful tool for a savvy investor.  

If eviction moratoriums are really hurting you down in C-class, then there's a high probability your rent is too high in fhe eternal search for "full market value," your screening and vetting procedures aren't thorough enough, your reserves are weak, you're not active enough attending to your tenants' needs, you are spread too thin and rely on too many people who do not deserve your trust, something. 2020 has been very kind to us, money-wise, and all we did was watch our fundamentals.

Under this paradigm, evicting a non-paying or obnoxious tenant who refuses to leave is often equated in the press and elsewhere with the denial of this fundamental right. 

I can't see why else.I think the fundamental would be where does my money have the highest return.

That would put the PITI around $2k/mo, and I'm totally fine with paying out of pocket per month on this place, because im very okay with the location and the markets fundamentals (Dallas, TX). and once i move out, it will cash flow at roughly 1.5 DSCR. plenty of room for stuff to go wrong! 

@Cameron Chambers there are lots of things you can do to go beyond newbie and before buying your first propertyFill in your BP profile... it's currently emptyBecome an expert in analyzing dealsBecome an expert in market analysis Learn all you can about a specific market or type of investingWhile partners certainly value experience, knowledge and sound fundamentals go along way.

Grand Rapids has super strong fundamentals so won't be hit as hard by a market correction and is still very affordable.

Well let's see ... buying a property when you don't yet understand the dynamics of real estate investing, in a market you are not familiar with, paying retail price, with no value add, and then turning it over to a complete stranger giving them complete control and trust to make or break your investment for you and keep your financial interests at heart above theirs, in a market where you'd need to hop on a plane to visit if heaven forbid anything went wrong that your PM couldn't handle and in all likelyhood caused (but never mind, that could never happen) ... yep, sounds  like a solid plan to me.That's not even to get into the economic fundamentals of supply and demand and risk adjusted returns.