.• I purchased a small 1B/1Ba condominium in a high rise building in 2004 for personal use.• In 2010, I moved out and decided to put in in service as a rental unit.• I was able to keep it well occupied and leased throughout 2024.• I sold the condo unit in late 2024 for a nominal profit.That brings us to today. 

but i also 2nd @Jay Hurst's sentiments - get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion on DTI/ full doc. i personally love files that are puzzles, i get some weird satisfaction out of figuring out how to make it work on full-doc, especially when my client has been told "no" before. if it doesn't work now, a good loan professional will help you create a path forward.

The challenge was balancing the relationship between landlord/tenant and a personal/friendly relationship.

@Lauren MerendinoI strongly believe that your chosen market should be somewhere that you can go to in person / have strong personal knowledge of / have family or a network in already.  

Some of the heavy hitters here in Chicago discussed the ADU program with a very nice person from the building department.

There are any number of Real Estate schools available to you, so choose the one that compliments your learning style, whether that be online or in person or a hybrid. 

We make people take photos of themselves holding their ID and then I also meet them in person for the showing - at least for my units on the NW side of Chicago.I've never heard of these testers, but I am not surprised. 

I personally own a property in Windsor Hills Resort, right next door to Disney World, and we absolutely love it.

Have you calculated what your (monthly nut) is you need to survive business wise and personally?

The Landlord will verify that the rental is empty of all personal belongings and trash and that there is no damage beyond ordinary wear and tear.