Are any of these hardships good enough?

My plan has been to retail for now, until I come across the deals that are good enough to hold.

In low income rentals, if the wood floors are in good enough shape, I paint them with floor paint from Lowes (Valspar -Brownstone).

Not always, but in some cases.Of course getting a good enough deal can make it all worth while.

An investor that has skin in the game will be less likely to just walk away when things get tough.If your deal is good enough and you have something to offer, you might be able to get 100% financing.

Generally speaking, one month's rent for the entire building is good enough reserves to pay for maintenance issues that may arise.If you want to be extra safe (i.e. for tenants that don't pay rent, or for vacancies that you cannot immediately fill) then try to have 2 months' worth off rent saved up in your account.I would also advise that you set up a company to manage your business (most go with LLC's).

If you are good enough to make 5K a month wholesaling...what I call the "short money"...you're missing the bigger picture of the real estate business.The long money...the continue cash flow from owning a free and clear rental property whose rents continue rise with inflation...is the big payoff of real estate.Let's get real...if you find properties others are willing to pay you cash for...you just sold away a lot of expertise and effort for pennies on the dollar.Get in this business for real and quit chasing the "fast but short buck".Or at the very least, stop calling it "investing"...Take some words of wisdom from Warren Buffet:We believe that according the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a 'romantic.'

On a subconscious level, you start to really believe that you aren't good enough, or that there's no way possible that you can achieve becoming a real estate investor.

If it was good enough for my grandfather it is good enough for me.

Can you make good enough money on cash flow to justify the deal or is this something you can justify little or no cash flow on because it has such great appreciation and you can move it quickly in another year or two for some easy money?