I am finally at my two year mark not being W2 so if I can skip past DSCR loans and the such that would be much preferred as I dont want to pay the fees if I don't have to as I am trying to get some money I put into each unit to renovate back out of it. 

Our NTE for a single unit is $500 so if there was a $475 plumbing bill we knew was necessary for the property we would be paying it and you would see it in your monthly statement.

There is quite a few forums that already discuss this topic, but buying 1-4 units in an LLC with a DSCR loan also comes with higher rates at the cost of using an LLC

A multi-unit property was purchased for $140k. 

It's probably not going to end well for that landlord.We actually had this happen to us twice last year (at the same time, in 2 different units)!

Conventional financing is a great option to get started if you have a W2 job or easily verifiable income and you're financing a 1-4 unit property.

Build a solid foundation before taking a step up - each and every step of the way.There’s a way to scale recklessly and there is a way to scale safely.When OPM is involved safe is way better than reckless.Despite a life long career in RE, I scaled as followsBought a few duplexes for my own accountBought a fourplex for my own accountBought 12 units as a JV with some friendsSyndicated 43 unitsSyndicated 30 unitsBought another 12 units as a JVSyndicated 281 unitsThis was over a 3 or 4 year period.and so forth - now I am GP in close to 1000 units with $125M AUM.Even with all that, my sweet spot is 30 to 50 unit properties - they work best for my partners and I and more importantly our investors. 

Mike - Yes, I would say it is best for properties 10 units and up, but the best I have found.   

Hey GaryI manage about 65 units in FL and I broker for STR buyers in this market, and some do self manage.Obviously the ones who choose us for management, we can assist with all of those items, but the ones who self manage do so by building a team. 

@Lillian Pintaro,Birmingham’s a lucrative market—it’s been my stomping ground for nearly 20 years, and you can find some excellent deals if you know what you’re after and dive deep by zip code, neighborhood, and city block.For what it’s worth, we manage 2,000+ units (many for out-of-state investors) mostly in the north and west part of town—so think suburbs outside the city limits like Graysville (35073), Adamsville (35005), Mount Olive (35117), Center Point (35215), and the like.Since you’re also open to the surrounding areas, places like Odenville (to the east) and Tuscaloosa (to the southwest) could be worth checking out.