Maximize your W2 earnings, get a 2nd job, swallow your pride and live at home (if that's an option), don't spend a dime on anything if it is not food, housing, or transportation, and pile up money. 

Hi everyone, thank you everyone for the pointers and the food for thought!

@Jesse Santos whenever a prospective tenant wants to negotiate I tell them: “sure we’re always willing to accept more”, and then I don’t say another word.As a rule of thumb, if you enter into the negotiating game with a prospective tenant early on, you will be living with that their entire tenancy on all their maintenance requests, late payments, pet requests, etc.They have already shown you who they are as you thought the initial negotiations were over and then they brought you to round two.

How do you handle pets? 

Creative strategy -Monthly Pet fee?

Ybor has been up and coming for years, so much to do around great Cuban food, trolleys, new bars.

As for value, a similar property down the street sold in the mid $800's in Q4 of 2023.Closed in December on a 6-plex in Berkeley with an in place 9 CAP, with 3rd party property management in place.I am in contract on a 4-plex in the Adams point area of Oakland, within walking distance to Whole Foods.

My thoughts are a fast food restaurant with a small apartment building on the other side. 

Looking back on where we started from, both working at fast food restaurants, I am honestly in disbelief and extremely grateful.

On top of that TenantCloud treats every lease add on (parking fee, pet fee, late fee etc.) as new ACH deposit.