Thats how I started in real estate and how I help clients today south of Boston and in RI.

Next, I would look into where you can find the 1% rule (aka positive cash flow) and fast appreciation. 

2) if you were getting started today, and take ONE piece of information you know now, what would that be?

That being said, I'm always an advocate for paying for mentorship to fast track your goals. 

@Chris John I'm seeing quadplexes thhat are far cheaper per dollar of income today than they were in 2021. 

That helps some...but your variable expenses also go up too - property insurance & taxes - so a lot of your rent increases go to offset rising variable expenses.I started at the age of 47 in 2018 and we bought properties fast and furious - 12 the first year, 10 the next, and 9 in 2021 and currently have 38 properties. 

It sounds like current challenges are:* how you currently feel today about maintaining property* how you currently feel today about that particular house that you lived in and made niceIt also sounds like there are a few logistical/ timing/financial challenges such as:* the logistics of a 1031 etc.* logistics of maintaining out-of-state property and tenants* having time to research enough about this while moving across the country to be confident in your decisions and planning* having time to research other opportunities, what could be done with the money if you soldReason I bring up the emotional stuff because yeah property is a hassle, but there may be another vision that lets you get everything or most of what you want, with a little bit less hassle, or hassle in a way that bothers you less.

today's market is just not the market for buying a random property on Zillow and turning it over to random people.and you said you want a newer build in a hot market under 250K with positive cash flow. 

I just found out today that one of my tenants didn't pay rent and was sent a pay or quit notice but the notice provides them 30 days to pay or quit. 

It's terrifying to think how fast it can spread with that kind of force behind it.