It's obvious how it would be negative for people trying to do flips, but do rental rates drop drastically at a time like this, or are they usually pretty consistent?

So, continue to educate yourself, put together a consistent savings plan and be prepared to take action.The BP community is here to help and will be delighted to hear from you in the near future about your accomplishments.The bottom line is that you must take action to start.

I want to take Brandons advice and use that funnel mentality to be consistent...and successful.

With that said, I am employed full time so I do have a consistent income.Since the my original post, my DTI concern has been lessened since I vastly overestimated due to an incorrect calculation.

Having a full-time job doesn't affect your business's tax position unless you consistently show losses from you business year-over-year (assuming your business is not owning rental properties). 

We attend the christening or first birthday party if invited.We give gift cards for the Holidays.We help decorate for the Holidays and contribute to community potlucks/BBQs (at our 8-plex).We have a "make it your own home" policy, whereby we give approval for a reasonable modification to the property, such as painting a room, changing out a light fixture, etc.We prepare a "move-in packet" which includes information to orient them to the property (property rules, utility contact information, change of address form, our contact information, etc. ) and also information about the neighborhood, such as a walking/trail map of the local area, chamber of commerce welcome information, a list of nearby amenities (including medical, shopping, restaurants, schools, parks), menus for local pizza delivery services, coupons for local businesses, etc.We prepare a "move-in gift" which consists of a bucket of our favorite cleaning supplies and a reusable shopping bag with starter supplies of paper products, a "Zip-It" hair snare for clearing sink drains, a toilet plunger, a cutting board, approved hanging devices (picture hooks), a door mat and a shoe tray.We supply light bulbs for all permanent light fixtures for the duration of the tenancy, including specialty bulbs for appliances and chandeliers.

If you are familiar with the islands and anilizing property your input would be appriceated.William 

Let me know.Thanks,Sam WilliamsQuestion is a bit vague, but here are couple of regular meet ups in Pinellas.Every Monday 7pm there is a meet up at Hibachi Buffet, 7610 49th St N, Pinellas Park, FL.Topics discussed on any given week may include: - Properties for Sale or Rent - Properties Wanted - Tenants Wanted - Landlording Issues - Real Estate Laws - Land Trusts - Real Estate Services - Real Estate Training - Deal Structuring - NetworkingAlso, every 3rd Thursday of every month at 6pm there is a meet-up at Gators Cafe, 12754 Kingfish Drive, Treasure Island, FL 33706Goal is to get the Real Estate Investing community together in a fun setting where we can discuss opportunities, ideas, brainstorm, network, and figure out additional ways to help each other make more money investing in real estate.And there is a few REIAs in Tampa Bay as well.

Consistency is the key if you want to make it part or full time. 

You must be consistent to avoid any thoughts of discrimination by applicants.I have a scoring sheet that I follow and give points to each person based on income, years at job, credit history, years at previous residence, on time for showing, if application is complete filled in etc.