If your timeline is that long then appreciation should be your priority, and mitigating the lack of cash flow should be your concern.

I should have insured the homes, sold them, or done something to mitigate this risk.#2 Selecting bad tenants, there is nothing worse than selecting a tenant that pays you a deposit and months' rent then refuses to pay you again.#3 Allowing a tenant to pay a deposit via a non-profit.#4 Not charging big enough deposits for nicer homes, I have had many recently renovated properties that tenants have destroyed.

@Clayton Plummer Could buying a rental property that is already occupied mitigate the risk of not having immediate cash on hand the cash reserves? 

But, any retirement plan or investment strategy should have firm understandings of associated risks and the discipline to mitigate and steer clear of them.Brandon W.

This coinvestment is what mitigates the risk of the other party taking risks that could be a detriment to the investor.

How do you assess and mitigate risks in your investment portfolio? 

To mitigate that, use your best character judgement when meeting these students and you can likely get a feel for who will be the best fit for your situation.One thing I'd like to point out is the funky timing for marketing your place. 

I would hire a professional to test, but be aware that a company who has mitigation services has financial incentive to find issues.

I think MTR tenants could be ok with this and it really depends on your business and how you plan to mitigate risk.We collect rent through our property management system Hostfully.

I just got Radon mitigation and Waterproofing down.