Sounds like a scarcity mentality guy trying to scare you.

I had too much of a spend spend spend mentality and never took enough time or thought to what I needed to do to live a more comfortable and wealthy life.

I am a native new yorker who currently works in the mental health field as a counselor,I do a lot of talking daily and figure this is a needed skill for real estate investing.

Seems like that $1000 mark isn't as much of a mental barrier as it used to be.Really appreciate the help!

Keep that mentality and you will be successful in life at whatever you decide to do.

My strategy is looking the property close to College, airport or hospital; the faculties or workers need a place to stay and have income to pay, despite the population decreasing in STL.

(It also helped me overcome a mental hurdle that always bothered me - Jacob in "Early Retirement Extreme" budgets just a few hundred dollars per month for housing, and I never saw a way to realistically do that until I learned about house-hacking.

I tried for 4 year to be the good guy and help a family and it did nothing but bite me in the A$$ both financially and mentally.  

As for cash flow there are a lot of doctors/lawyers/visiting faculty/medical residents associated with duke that are looking for higher end rentals.   

Leave no rocks unturned mentality.