Due to all that most of my focus has been trying to get better mentally and physically. 

Not even the felon part but lower income tenants tend to have unstable work and life histories, mental issues, etc.

Have an abundance mentality- I'll close 35 of these small deals over five 20K deals. 

Don't start in the business with the mentality of looking for loopholes to do what you want. 

I think that mentality is exactly what played into the bubble that has leveled half the US real estate market.Originally posted by "SeanBrown":Again, I'm saying that there's more to the picture than just looking for cash flow, and really, I think that is what Mike and you are both saying:Originally posted by "Ryan Webber":I've had properties that have a lot of equity and little cash flow and I've had cash flow properties that have no equity, and frankly I prefer Mike's strategy of having both.I do not JUST look for cash flow in properties.

I finally feel ready, as I am at the cusp of paying off all my student debt and other mistakes of my early 20s, and cultivating good behaviors of savings, watching my budgets, etc, mentally undoing years of bad habits developed from financially unsound parents(not meant in a negative way).We want to buy a 4plex, live in one unit, house-hack, and do the whole deal.

Just to get mentally comfortable with running numbers often

A lot of people bought property as an 'investment' the last time 'round the bubble using the "leverage everything possible to buy everything possible" mentality because everyone KNEW that REI was the way to get rich, and that the markets were only going to go up forever.

Thankfully, my private lender shared this same mentality.

I have been using the vinyl plank flooring from Home Depot in homes I'm renovating for a company that provides housing for mentally disabled.