If an investor buys with enough margin of safety and/or have the capital/financing to ride out the inevitable recession, they'll be fine.

The return of your money bit is all about safety.

The tenants may actually like the routine inspections because it shows that we care about the condition of their living space and safety.

Appeal to the safety aspect for both parties. 

It's a great safety net. 

When large companies start moving in, you also see the need for housing increase.Likewise, workers are coming here for Pittsburgh's livability, economic mobility and safety.

In our market, I think there is a long term capital appreciation play, we also buy in the path of progress so in the future a few of our properties could possibly redeveloped to unlock even more upside.And I don't think you will immediately get rich with cash flow, it just doesn't happen that way, at least not immediately in most markets.Others have talked about it, cash flow is your safety net, its what lenders will look at to give you loans, its the margin you have to pay the bills. 

Or, you can take $25k and spread it across three properties, with the extra 25k used for repairs, cash reserves, etc, and borrow $225k.In the second example, you use your $100k to purchase 3 properties instead of one, allowing you to take advantage of deducting your mortgage interest, as well as depreciating 3 properties instead of one.But, there’s three times the expenses, three times potential headaches with tenants, etc.Personally, I have gone back and forth on wanting safety vs accelerating my growth.

@Cara Lonsdale"IF the housing you provide is not "safe",Safety is not a issue in this situation as determined by the actions of the tenant.

Also extra leverage is nice since preserving cash is also a safety measure.