This month, BOOM same thing, rent came in $80 light and she said I fixed the drip mid month so it was another $80 off.

BOOM! 

You are NOT a collector of properties, you are a collector of deals. 

Not true (except for the boom and bust times.

I realize I have to be more careful here than in other areas in which the economy is booming.  

There are certain pockets/zip codes in Gastonia that are booming with newly renovated rentals and flips as well as new construction. 

Especially after the boom years where very many underwhelming listings did quite well. 

For example, pandemic real estate boom cities such as Phoenix and Austin are correcting and dropping more significantly from their peaks compared to cities like Charlotte and Miami, where prices have had a much smaller drop and has seemed to plateaued.

For tax liens, you can go to the tax collectors building and request a cd of all tax delinquents for $250.

Hey Gavin,In order to maximize your cash flow you could consider STR or MTR depending on where your properties are located.Florida is a good destination since it is a growing market for both strategies.Miami in particular is booming right now and if you have the opportunity to invest in this market I think cash flow won't be a problem.Best Regards