The main issue is that people don't do there homework or know how to structure the deal and end up screwing it up.

It's really basic math...

(We're just doing simple math here, so we'll use that number and not worry about the other expenses for a minute.)  

Do the math and track what you capture.

I need to do my homework on finding a tenant this week, look for a house, and figure out financing.

Though you will still have debt, you should always have equity, and if the rents pay the mortgage for 7 or 8 years and you then own the property free and clear your cashflow just got better and the extra can be applied to paying down the next loan even faster etc.If you build a pipeline of property and pay them off using a 10 year am schedule the math should be very compelling in Lansing.

I would love to buy in a nice area where i can possibly live in one day but the math doesn't make sense.  

Either way, do your homework and make sure that the property is undervalued when you buy.

Millennials who have been renting for a while generally experience some sticker shock when they start doing the math on home ownership, because the square footage they can afford to buy is usually smaller than what they’ve been renting.

Confidence is not my strong suit, which serves me on one level, I do my homework, but hinders me in other ways, not trusting I've done well.