I Have gotten myself in to a more stable position that I will be able to start my investing career relatively soon so I wanted to get active here on the forums and website to really learn from the community.  

If inventory levels continue increasing, the market will continue to go down until there is a new stable point on the supply/demand curve.Ultimately, real estate should be evaluated at something like the CAP rate minus the prevailing interest rate. 

My plan was to sell the property and the reason why I signed a 3 year long term lease so that the potential buyer would see the stable cash flow.

@Kate Budroe1) A 12 month lease looks better to a lender because the property would be treated as stable-leased versus unstable leased.

Short term goals: Accumulate 200k in cash ASAP Long term goal: 15k cash flow Numbers:-Bought in October 2020; VA loan; 2.75% (2.94% APR); $6.5k in closing cost -Purchase Price: $685k; after funding fee total loan: $701k; currently outstanding loan: $679k-Since then, increased total rent from $4,200 to $5,160-Operating expense: $1,650 (using $200 for routine repairs/maintenance cost)-NOI: $3,312 (using 4% for vacancy)-Mortgage (P+I): $2,861; Total mortgage payment: $3,505-Total monthly expenses: $4,967 (using 5% for cap ex…which is conservative as opposed to 10%)-Monthly cash flow: $193-Annual cash flow: $2,313Reasons to hold: -It is a stable, generally stress-free property. 3 of 4 units have been great long term tenants-Low interest rate at 2.75%-It is in a reliable area that will steadily appreciate  -I don’t necessarily need the capital right now.

However, as a brand-new investor, you need to have a reserve or regular income stream like a stable job if your cash flow is so thin which, as everyone has pointed out, could be wiped out for years if anything major happens, and things happen, it is only a matter of time.You also want to screen your tenants well.

Buying 3-4 properties in lower-price point markets might be a bit more stable, but like you said, returns will be lower and those properties have less chance appreciating long-term.

@Joshua Taffe, short answer: I would keep shopping around, because this is not a loan I would take or pay for.But, these terms seem poor using an assumption that the asset is in good, stable condition and you have a strong credit score and history.  

Why not just get a W-2 job and earn a stable living with benefits while saving up to invest in real estate?

Get things stable, paying tenants then sell or keep?