There is no indication that we will see anything like 2008.

You will normally pay a minimal amount like $50 or $100 to process the loan.2) The interest rate is low and you are paying it to your own retirement account.3) It can allow you to get into real estate investment faster4) If you leave your employer or get fired, recent tax law changes have made it so that you have additional time to pay back the retirement fund.Just an FYI - I personally took a 401K loan to get my first investment 4 years ago.I eventually left the employer and decided to take the hit and pay the taxes on the 401k distribution.Best decision of my life.Best of luck!

The sub-markets of any city are where you are going to better pinpoint cashflow v appreciation although the greater metro market indicators are still important.For example, there are neighborhoods in columbus (the higher appreciation city, typically) that will have little or no appreciation and just straight cashflow just like there are neighborhoods in cleveland (the lower appreciation city, typically) that have great appreciation potential because of sub-market trends.  

A good agent, a good home inspector, and your own due diligence should guide you to minimize risk. 

Adding to what Josue indicated, here are a few other considerations on the property tax topic:-  The appeals process may only be available for a couple weeks each year; for my assessor, it's tied to the release of the property tax amounts.-  Do the county records show the land vs. improvements? 

It just indicates the center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic.

What is happening with property prices today is an excellent indicator of what will happen with rents in the future.

Majority of the data I see and hear about is indicating 2022 to be positive for real estate.

DSCR lenders are busier than they've ever been because the rates and programs still allow for great cash flow, the loans close with minimal effort and there is more uniformity in this sector of the mortgage business.4.

To gain value and minimize my down side, I want to use my investment to purchase a property to leverage the income to reinvest in additional properties.