And I certainly wouldn't have survived it with no investor losses, as I was able to do thanks to having a manageable portfolio at that time.All that is to say that I wouldn't change a thing.

I feel that MLS is not accurate because not all property managers put them in. 

I'm born and raised in Houston and now work with a full service long-term rental management managing over 300 doors - all SF or MU (up to 4 unit).

I am newly married and have a hefty mortgage myself, but I manage to save a decent amount of money realistically 10-15k a year I have been working as a construction worker as long as I have been working I am a mason by trade and even though moneys tight I know I will be a successful investor even in the current market.

Plus, there are upfront costs to consider, like furnishing your condo and any expenses tied to managing it as a rental.As for refinancing, it might not be the right time with interest rates where they are.

The Property Manager usually does light cleaning and repairs between tenants.Recommendations or another way to think about this? 

To rent the home, I would lose about $2,500 per month (based on comparable rents in my area, property management fees, etc).Both options loose the same amount by roughly 2 years, and by this time, I still will not have built up much more equity in the home to make selling it a break even unless there is price appreciation by then.My dilemma is this: I speculate that my home will not appreciate much in the next 3-5 years due to the rapid pace of development in the surrounding area.In 5-10+ years, maybe, but by then I'll have bled $150,000 - $300,000.I have thought about this a lot and feel that I mar'-too close to the problem to see the best solution.

Property taxes are 650, insurance 160, outsourced property management takes 10% of the rent, and another 10% of the rent is set aside each month for future repairs. 3750 x 0.8 = 3000. $3000 profit, minus about $2300 in mortgage, property taxes and insurance leaves about $700 cashflow, when I move out.

Hi @Gil Canfu definitely there are many places in DFW where you can invest in a good rental property.I am not sure where you are at, but if self managed you should start in cities with good proximity to where you live.All the corridor between Princeton to Saginaw has good deals but there are many others things to consider as I mentioned previously.

that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.