I often wonder if it would have been better to have started with a single family as our first, to learn the ropes, and then graduated to the 4-plex model. 

Treat investing as a genuine business rather than a side hustle.

Treat investing as a genuine business rather than a side hustle.

You should focus on real estate rather than waste time on things you don't do well - and you need to make sure the marketing lines up with your real estate business.

The #1 FUNDAMENTAL FLAW I see self-managing landlords and way-WAY too many PM's do is NEGLECT the entirety of the BUSINESS of things. 

Something worth at least looking into for the original poster is checkout "zen business . com " You can try to make an LLC on your own there before paying a lawyer 

The leasing fees are the low hanging fruit that makes that business even worth pursuing.

-It is a much more active business than a traditional rental.

Keep in mind if you are doing commercial/portfolio/other loan types then none of this may matter…but for Fannie/Freddie it will.SCHEDULE CThe Schedule C portion of your personal tax returns is where most people file a business that is operated as a “sole proprietorship”.

I have had so many people asking me for help re financing in Mexico that I'm studying whether there's a way I can get involved in that business to be able to help them.Finally, something to bear in mind that the best deals in Mexico can be more profitable if you pay cash than a deal with a mortgage in the US.