If you have to expand your search criteria too much in order to get good comp data, then your subject property is unique and you should be extra cautious.  

Usually they are relieved because they know we will care more than someone who's hands off, but you certainly have to be cautious in case you get a nightmare tenant. 

On the lower end, I encourage you to be extremely cautious with where you're investing in and how much time you intend to spend. 

I'm by no means an expert but I'd be very cautious about investing in NY now.  

I'm just being a little more cautious than most I guess....I'm not saying it's the right way (especially since I'm the noob).

As far as completing them, there are some videos available online but you want to be cautious when using that information since so much of it is old or simply put out there by minimally active and informed agents / investors.

I would be a little cautious going into a public forum and saying the equivalent of, "I have 100k where can I invest it."  

Maybe I'm overly cautious or the doom and gloom type but it seems like the odds are in a sense stacked against you.

With that said be cautious of how and when you pull the trigger at first... it sounds like you are in a very tipping point type of area between very little money and zero/negative money.

Seems to me I'd be rather cautious about blindly following the theories promoted by that author unless they really checked out.So, what is it about these note gurus or any guru for that matter in areas of RE where common sense seems to be tossed aside?