PS - I'm looking at building one myself, so happy to let any of y'all use it (at no cost) if you would like to chat.

You can find out what makes the seller decide to sell by getting to know them and communicating with them regularly.

So I would focus on continuing to build / save money and if a deal comes along, then look to take advantage of it, but do not force things or manipulate #'s to make a deal look better than it is.

Next time you talk to the renter that's paying late all the time, Maybe mentioned to him or her without getting too involved in their personal life, they should seek out a temporary job a few hours, a couple of days a week until they build up enough to get caught up on the rent, and make a little pool of money to use so they don't get behind again.Some Temporary jobs can be fun, like handing out rubber id bracelets at functions to the participants, or if the person is more blue collar they have jobs for those people too more suited to their tastes. just my 2 cents.

One thing I would add is that you can put effort on the front end into building a cash buyer list and know their criteria.

(Yes it’s a thing there’s little sidewalk plows/snow throwers that the town will own.)The landlord is definitely responsible for snow removal from the rooftops which if it builds up can cause ice dams or worse collapse your roof.

Looking forward to building these relationships!

Build - rent - refinance - repeat 

If you're looking to invest long term and build a portfolio, I'd recommend going with a 2-4 unit and take advantage of the VA financing.

Building permits, a leading indicator of future construction activity, were up by 1.5% to 1.80 million units.Rent costs rising over the past few years could finally be hitting the consumer's wallet in that they are becoming weaker and unable to afford higher rents.Also, looking at the housing starts data, new supply may be entering the market finally, causing prices to drop as consumers have more options.