Let's break down a realistic timeline for building your REI business without burning out or risking your day job.  

Some clients who are more aggressive will invest in B-/C+/C class areas in Dayton 1-4 units and get A LOT of cash flow, but incur risks of evictions, expensive turnover renovations, and general C class neighborhood headaches.What are you looking to achieve?

As repeatedly advocated on BiggerPockets by myself and others, house hacking is one of the best forms of entry into real estate while mitigating risk.

What are the risks of going down this path?

This does not involve the utility company meaning that you will still have to go into the property, read the meters, then individually bill each tenant for their usage and understand the bill is still in your name.

I put 30% down to reduce risk and create more cash flow.

Owner RE has work and risk.  

One thing I’ve always done is focus on the 75th percentile of the rent estimates, as my properties tend to fall into that range (very nice, but small with no amenities).While I think there will always be some manual research involved, the current platforms lack key functionality that could be easily implemented with the available market data and technology.1.Quality Metrics:•Filter comps to match the quality of your rentals.

At the risk of overgeneralizing, I will put them into categories:1 - The close to home folks - For many this purchase is large and perhaps a bit scary. 

Father can assist with some functions, but I guess the more he's involved the more one could argue that he needs a license.