I'm crunching numbers on my first investment purchase and suspect I'm focusing too much on the profit margin during the first two years (low single digits).   

In 2019, we were approaching double-digit market exposure and were purchasing in six different states.  

Having the email address to match the domain name alone is worth that (okay I confess, it was a little easier for me as my wife is a web designer/digital marketer anyway), but you get my point!

Online platforms and digital tools are making it easier for people to search for homes, communicate with real estate agents, and close transactions.

It's not enough to just have a digital calendar and a list of tasks to do.

Drip pans below water heater and washer.Landlord locks or digital locks. 

Metro Detroit (my rental portfolio is here)Purchase: $80k-$130kRent: $1100-$1500ROI: 10-14%Cash flow: $250-$350/door (after all expenses and budgeting for maint,capex,vacancy)Appreciation: Double digit (for the past 10 years, can send data)Location: C+, B- (suburbs and certain markets)We have over a dozen Fortune 500 companies just in Metro Detroit with huge Healthcare, Auto, and mortgage industry National footprints.

I believe some people have been doing low 4-digit buyouts on tenants in Oakland, although it does depend on the person and how far below market..

really depends on if your title companies are digital or do they still have to send someone into the court house and do search by hand ( title abstractor).. we stopped doing title search's by hand about 30 years ago on the west coast title companies have all digital bases. and can pull up records on the computer in a matter of seconds..

Some median prices have even dropped by double-digit percentages.San Francisco is still the most expensive city in the country to rent an apartment.