The lender Bank was being bought by a larger and needed the non-performing loan off of the books made the deal even sweeter. 

I can probably point to a 2-4 unit that performed better than a single family, and I can point to a my own single families that performed better than my duplex.  

Leveraging the equity from your house hack for future investments, whether in STRs or larger multi-family properties, is a strategic plan, but ensure your initial property performs well before taking on bigger projects like flipping.

I'm a beginner with one rental property and looking to expand my portfolio smartly in 2025. 

Best way to find cohosting gigs is to look for properties that should be performing well based on their location and quality of furnishings or amenities but cannot seem to get good reviews.

Use the actual NOI, not the pro-forma b/c that is how the property is ACTUALLY performing.

A loan commitment letter carries more weight as it confirms lender approval, signaling a stronger ability to close.Addressing Closing Concerns: A commitment letter meaningfully reduces concerns, especially when paired with proof of equity and a track record of performance, even if on smaller deals.What Brokers Look For: Key factors are a reputable lender, clear terms in the commitment, and evidence of funds for equity and reserves.

If your realtor is listing it for free and not helping, that's not much help since leaving you to screen tenants and run through leads is like asking you to perform knee surgery, you don't know what you are doing.All rental listings should get bombarded on Zillow Rental Manager and HotPads, etc in the first week so if you have limited activity, your price is either too high or the photos are bad and the copy about the place is bad.Use something like RentSpree from screening.

Ironically its the investors in the layered LLC's who believe they are hidden in the cloaks of secrecy and better protected who end up in  the most costly and drawn out litigation while giving the plaintiff attorneys reason to take a more thorough look under the hood.Keep your LLC ownership simple, carry appropriate insurance, make sure ever vendor you work with carries appropriate insurance and those who perform work functions most likely to lead to liability exposure list you ad additional insured (not merely certificate holder) and it should go without saying, avoid negligent conduct.

Nobody owes the affordability being a right, and globally markets perform at a much wider ratio for median income:household, however, America is very local and industry specific.