Here's a quick look at the recent trends across different markets:Orange, CA: Down by 1.43%Pinellas (Tampa), FL: Down by 0.78%Dallas, TX: Down by 0.32%Los Angeles, CA: Down by 0.23%What's driving this?

I currently live in Boardman, just a few blocks south of Youngstown City.

Because when the seller realizes he or she is not going to have to pay 6% of the purchase price to an agent I can negotiate a lower price and the seller is more likely to agree.The process was simple with the guidance of a good real estate attorney.This can be accomplished only if the property is not under a current listing agreement. 

I currently have student loan debt of $70k that I am trying to focus and pay off completely within 3 years.

@Jeff EbertRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

However, increasing insurance rates means that this shortage is also increasing so my monthly payment is increasing exponentially to accommodate the increase in both my insurance rate and my shortage (my mortgage has increased over $400 monthly in the past 1.5 years because of these factors).TL;DR - Is it normal for a bank to require a positive escrow balance at all times like my current bank does?

Are there any new opportunities or pitfalls to be aware of? Your advice is appreciated!

Currently, nothing is penciling out so I don't think you are alone. 

Hi all, I currently have one real estate property in Cleveland Ohio (purchased in 2019) but have largely been out of the real estate game since COVID reared it's ugly head.

Still researching, but one of the problems my boyfriend (currently deployed but stationed at Ft.