One is my main job(yardman at a concrete plant)and the other is to supplement income(valet trash).

Hey Mike quick question...do you find that your rents or turnover are affected by having all electric (up here in NE) heat or do you supplement with a self ventilated space heater or some such?

So, they aren't supplementing the market as buyers.So, when the boom ends but you still need to plan for retirement I would buy cash flowing or long term appreciating assets any day!

If you're serious about going this route to actually sell residential real estate and not just for supplementing your pursuit of being an investor, I would strongly recommend David's new book "Sold" (in the BP library). 

And with interest rates climbing, there may be a bit more leverage for buyers.How does one transition from a buyer-rookie (like me) to an investor who can supplement their income?

Something to keep in mind when screening is that your prospective tenant might have a criminal record anywhere in the US, so be sure to do nationwide credit, criminal, and eviction and supplement those with local searches where you feel you need a more granular look.

I'm just looking for a way to supplement my income as I like my day job and plan to keep it.

I want to supplement my income during the beginning stages and then eventually work up to enough properties where I could live off of the income.

I'm looking at 2 specific areas right now, The Woodlands and outskirts of Sugar Land.

Total sugar high across the board.