My end goal is to acquire as many as possible for long term passive income.My question, as the title suggests, is how to properly analyze a deal and what MOST folks like to use as a measuring stick to be considered a good deal.Brandon Turner says he only jumps on a rental that will bring a 12% cash on cash return after everything is accounted for (PITI, vacancy, maintenance, cap ex, management, etc.)  

With the credit card debt (and there is more to the story there I suspect - just having a $300 balance on a credit card does not cause bad credit) and car debt, she has dug herself a hole.

@Kelly Bellini usually if you go with an off balance sheet loan product through Fannie Mae Freddie Mac, they will have seasoning requirements like that (I think it's 6 months, but not sure). 

Market seems way more balanced than I would have imagined. 

Why not start small and buy some rural vacant land, say Kern or San Bernardino County (or anywhere in the country) for a $500, sell for $1500 and keep growing your acquisition balance to where you are comfortable enough to make some other choices?

Why not start small - buy some rural vacant land for $500, sell for $1500 and keep growing your acquisition balance to where you are comfortable enough to make some other decisions?

The pro's of conventional 1 year tax return programs is that typically you can price your loan with no points and potentially with a lender credit to cover all your closing costs and its 30 year amortization and 30 year term meaning you pay the min payment for 30 years you'll end up at 0 dollar balance at the end of 30 with out having to refinance or payoff your loan at any point in between and assuming you dont default your note will not be called due and payable which is always a possiblity on a portfolio note.In houston,TX I like Lone Star Bank (LSB) they do portfolio money last I saw at 20 year AM 5.50% with 1 point 7 year term i believe (balloons at the end of 7).

were they installed properly or is something obstructing them?

The key is to screen properly, collect a deposit commensurate with the level of risk a particular tenant presents, and have tight processes in place to stop problems early.

What it’s worth is irrelevant.....it’s what you pay for it that counts(and yes you can include repair/improvement costs If done properly, and within the 180 day window)