My thought was that it would be smart to pay January mortgage payments in December so that I can lock in the deductions for 2016 while tax rates are marginally higher while also locking in the mortgage interest deduction for at least one more month. 

IMO two of the most important items for having successful investment properties is to buy smart, and to have a good lease. 

In addition - for our brand, we're developing technology in-house that allows us to screen renters based on a number of factors that keeps undesirable guests out (or less likely to sneak in) reducing overall cost-of-ownership. 

If your neighbors work for nurseries, have yappy or mean dogs, erect two fences around their property, are livid when PGE goes in and places Smart meters on their electrical box, have motion detector lights on their house and locked access on all parameter gates you can bet its a grow house.  

i'm telling you all this so that you can see that i am a genuine and relatable person. life's too short to pretend i'm a stuffy business person- i'm not. i also want to show you that i am motivated, smart, and resourceful. i have goals, but i need some help. i don't have time to waste, and i read once that Andrew Carnegie said that making good deals involves being up front and honest about what you want, so this is what i want:i want a mentor to help me to get some real experience in the field, and i want to find a reliable and fair network team. i also want someone to believe in me enough to invest in me so i can get started. what i'm willing to give:i am willing to negotiate a fair return on investments. i will share and support my network team just as much as they support me. and for a mentor, i will negotiate a fair trade(perhaps a percentage of my real estate profit for the first year) for the education. and... i will totally take some people on business dinners(and write them off on my taxes), you know, as a bonus. :)so, are any of you willing to invest in me?

I am starting out looking to get my first rental property and trying to learn how to invest smart.

Identify desires and set SMART goals to achieve them.

There is starting to be more and more private investment that specialize in "Blue Technology" to make AltaSea their home.

Addicts are smart and master manipulators.

I think it would be very smart to come out in person and find an agent, contractors and a property management company that you really like.