The issue with section 179 expense is that you normally have to operate at positive income.Under most circumstances, bonus depreciation is better since you can take bonus depreciation even if you operate at negative income. 

The local/ state etc (governing body) may not just "give you" one.

For example, you can buy properties in the low $100k range that are already cash-flow positive or close to break-even with good tenants in place.

Expect another brutal year for investors in the South and Southwest, particularly in Texas and Florida, and particularly in Austin, TX - perhaps the worst positioned market in the United States for returns in year 2025. 

There was also a post about preREO on BP recently which I believe is also under Jorge and those comments also were not very positive.  

I was also considering the REI expo in February so maybe I'll see you there.You're a self-proclaimed novice but I think many other members of the community would agree that you're well on your way given your potential cashflowing rental and equity.You seem to have a strong position which would allow you to keep growing your portfolio in the next few years.I'd recommend diversifying your RE portfolio the same way you're diversifying with other investments (REITs, Stocks, bonds etc.).

The Numbers:Cash Flow Analysis: Investors typically look for properties that will generate positive cash flow—meaning the income from rent covers the property’s expenses (mortgage, taxes, maintenance, etc.) and then some.

Putting people in a position where they would need to sell or come up with an alternative strategy to pay off the mortgage balance prior to rebuilding. 

Without knowing any of your financial position of your work or side hustles it is hard to give you exact advice because you may be able to carry these homes until they are paid off and in that case they would provide solid returns, but there are likely better real estate investments out there.  

Today, I analyzed over 10 condos, and while I found one with a positive cash-on-cash return, it was far from impressive.I’d love to hear from experienced condo investors about why this type of real estate might make sense despite the low cash-on-cash returns and HOA fees that cannot be influenced.As a bonus, if anyone has purchased investment properties for their children with a similar goal, I’d really appreciate any insights about your process or results.I am looking at buying 2 investment condos for my children to pay for their college tuition in 13-15 years.