-Opportunity cost: A 7% interest rate isn’t great, but if you think you can achieve returns higher than 7% by buying another cash-flowing property, paying off the mortgage might not be the best use of funds.Now, let’s explore saving to buy another property:Investing in a Second PropertyPros:-Diversifies your portfolio, reducing risk if your Palm Desert STR underperforms or faces challenges (e.g., stricter regulations or lower demand).

If there is minor rehab (such as painting and cosmetic improvements) you can still close on a DSCR loan, however it may affect your appraised value, which could also affect your market rent if its a vacant property.

My plan for this year is improve my credit, get my real estate license (to increase my income on top of my W-2), possibly career transition into the property management space (to learn more), and save as much as possible and learn as much as I can.I’d love to house hack close to home but my area is so expensive it seems like it’d be close to impossible. 

So much so that when we do come across that all-to-rare exception of a person who's grinding at improving there life, to elevate, it's notice, it's a shocker, and we go the extra mile to really help them if and where we can. 

One thing that is really challenging about this market is the huge number of agents and groups that are here.Thanks again!

I can say almost all my customers have worked into that 1% or better, but sometimes make take a few years with rent increases.My advice is to look for slightly older homes in non-HOA neighborhoods to improve your ROI.

@Deirdre Lizio see a lot of competiting PMCs start with a pledge of doing it better than "what's out there".Always interesting to revisit them 3-5 years later - after they've experienced the reality of challenging tenants AND owners.Look no further than Evernest: they started out with flat fee management at $99/month and promises of better & fairer service & pricing.Now they're at 10%, capped at $199/month - wonder what changed?

Regarding building the proprety for $700K, that is a challenge for sure.

Large apartment complexes flooded the market with inventory and are offering crazy incentives and amenities that crush the small landlord which can make finding a tenant challenging and often for less than market rent. 

Hey Tod, I took a very brief look at your first listing, airbnb.com/h/newport1bedroom, and the thing that jumps out at me as far as improving it is: address the 1-star review head on without attacking the reviewer.