That was easy and it was nice to have a bit extra coming in. I

I'm really happy you jumped in.. is there a particular formula you rely on to gauge a property's viability?

I haven't bought a deal or anything I'm still saving up, I'm at 25k I'll hopefully be ready to buy in the next three years, otherwise the city I'm buying in is Barrie which is generally a great appreciation market, I've got two brothers Chris owns two rental properties and Ryan just bought his first partnering up with my brother chrises second deal, so I might partner up for my first deal I don't know yet tho depends on what my brothers want to do.when shopping properties I do remember from the book you shouldn't buy properties based off cap rates but im wondering at the beginning do you first skim this information say the property is listed at a 6% cap rates which is common in the Barrie market would I then would go walk the property and see if things are viably ok, once I believe it's resdy for a professional inspection I'll get information about deferred maintenances mainly capex based off what I need to repier I'll be walking the property with the professional and I guess he'll give me a rough cost of How much everything that is needed and when I need to get the work done due dates, also I don't know how to calculate how much I should set aside in monthly terms after I get the required information from the inspector I'll be doing this for the first time, if the pure cash flow is incheck  I believe usually NOI is usually around 60% including appreciation and mortgage income andone going deferred maintenances around 35-40%, now I'm ready to make an offer?

Starting with the area you're already in is a really good start as well.

For the foundation I would bring an engineer out first before bids.

I’ve been listening to the BiggerPockets podcast daily on my commute and finally decided to jump into the forums to learn, connect, and start taking action.A little about me:I work as a Substation Design Engineer and currently live near the Jersey Shore.I’m focused on learning about house hacking, buy-and-hold rentals, and creative financing strategies.Right now, my biggest challenges are:Understanding the best financing options for a first-time investor.Finding a solid market near me that aligns with my budget and goals.Learning how to analyze deals with confidence.If anyone has tips, resources, or experiences they’d be willing to share, I’d love to hear them!

Buy-in is often more conducive than other more saturated markets and there's such a wide variety of options to choose from. 

He also doesn't want to leave living with my sister and her kids either, but really can't afford to pay more than the $150/month that he's barely able to pay now.Both my sister and her father-in-law are very low income earners, and the house they live in is too much for her to pay for on her own.

Quote from @Zhenyang Jin: I am a software engineer working in Bay Area.

But I saw an opportunity and I went all in. I