But having that initial plan- hell, even a scribbled outline on a napkin; will give you something to pivot from when the market throws a curveball.

This seems like an odd strategy - purposefully invest in an asset that loses value, with the hope that it will regain value (so you at least get your initial investment back) all to save a little on taxes. 

We’re open to zero or slightly negative cash flow initially, as long as the deal provides solid equity potential.

Although it may require a higher initial down payment to achieve immediate cash flow, the growth potential in Austin is unprecedented.

 - a study on rent cost compared to ownership cost shows that virtually every large city market it is initially cheaper to rent than own (I believe is was cheaper to went in 97 of the largest 100 markets)Miami and Florida have extra concerns:- insurance difficulties have resulted in large increase in insurance costs.  

The mortgage has gotten out of hand due to property tax increases, miscalculated escrow, and an increase in my interest rate from an initial buy down, increasing from $2600/mo to $3200/mo.

Areas like Aurora, Arvada, and parts of Lakewood or Westminster can be good places to look, depending on your budget and target tenant.If you’re looking for a base hit rather than a home run, focus on finding a property where the numbers work reasonably well as-is—cash flow might not be huge initially, but if you’ve got room to add value and refinance, you’ll build equity to reinvest.

Through connections with people in various markets, I was able to establish short-term rentals internationally, manage properties in different states, and diversify my investments in a way I hadn’t initially planned.A lot of these opportunities came from contacts I made over time.

In my case, I think TK is the best option - at least to initiate my real estate journey.

In Vermont, LLC formation fees and annual report costs can add up.A good friend of mine, Jason, started with five doors and used a single LLC for his properties initially.