You are an unlicensed financial advisor.  

I'm glad I said I had to talk it over with my financial advisors. :) 

I knew I needed a path to financial freedom, but I didn’t have any connections in the industry.

@Denise Lang some copy & paste thoughts:TYPES OF RENTAL INVESTMENTSRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

My end goal is to have financial freedom in 10 years or less by bringing in $10k/month.

If you need financial help, ask under the "Finance, Tax, and Legal" forum.

If you are looking at nationwide, maybe narrow it down to 5 or so markets that interest you and look good financially. 

If you were hurt financially by this company you could sue, put a restraining order on sale of property etc.

Essentially, it was one account with the bank tracking individual tenant details on your behalf.That said, it’s critical to ensure your financial records remain accurate by reconciling the account on a monthly basis.

It depends on your financial strength, the quality of the property, how many properties you own, etc.I like to start with one significant expense and three months of vacancy.