If we get a positive response from the tenant then that is a bonus.

Appreciation is a bonus, not a business plan.

Do your homework on some areas and I'm including a bonus on 10 tips for vetting sponsors as the last link here.  

My hope is to close out this year with 5 investment properties and pick up another 1-4 in 2018 (depending on bonuses, refund checks, rents, and pay raises).

Bonus points for those with fewer than 10 financed properties:A trust can get a vanilla 30YF Fannie loan without worrying about the due on sale clause, moving title around, or any of that.

I believe the bonus depreciation is for new vehicles.

@Kristen RayYou can get the landlording book bonuses here https://www.biggerpockets.com/LandlordBookBonus

Appreciation is sort of an added bonus, but if the numbers make sense when you buy it, you'll be OK so long as rents don't crater (which I find very unlikely) and expenses don't skyrocket (which is similarly unlikely).There are a bunch of north Jersey investors on BP, a lot specializing in Newark and surrounding areas that I'm sure have a lot of insight as well.

So if you do a cost seg all of that bonus depreciation gets recaptured at 25% on your taxes. 

On the other hand, if you want 100% risk free high returns on low balances, simply Google bank or credit card bonuses assuming you have good to excellent credit.