We are now at the point where we replace 3 driveways every year, starting with the worst ones. 

One way that I was able to get into my first property was counting 70% of the rental income of the other unit on a duplex.

You are allowed to keep all the deposits in one account, as long as you have a means of tracking how much belongs to each renter.

., so do you mean living in one state while a local PM manages a STR for you in the other state?

As for the areas to target, my goal in getting our feet wet as real estate investors--and since we plan to be living in Sac--is to find a property we can live in while renting out one or more units to help cover our housing expenses, which we can then hold and continue to rent out when we move.

Since you're open to markets beyond NYC, you might want to connect with local investor meetups or REI groups in those areas to build relationships with agents, wholesalers, and lenders who understand the nuances of each market.If you're looking to break out of analysis paralysis, maybe start by narrowing down one or two target markets and running numbers on actual deals.

But some of those discounts (particularly those for OwnerRez and Hostfully) look pretty decent in case any one else is considering using them.

Can't wait to do another one!

I have one rental property in San Marcos, CA (North County San Diego), which was my primary residence for several years before I moved to Orange County.

Then next year buy another one.