I, personally, would reserve $100/mo. for capex in your situation.One thing most folks miss in this stuff is the waste line to the street unless its brand new your going to replace it for 3 to 5k as well over the life.. along with plumbing fixtures etc and maybe even a replumb under the house along with dry rot etc..  

My father was their attorney for several years, and ultimately took his life over their illegal and unethical business practices.

Without further ado, here are the final details:Purchase price in 2018 - $210,000Sales price in April 2022 - $450,000 (cash, no inspection, no contingencies)Net proceeds - $249,000With initial out-of-pocket investment of $27,000, the return is a 9.2x multiple, or 84% IRR, which is by far the best real estate investment we've ever made, and gives our daughter a great start on her financial life.

But the reality is that even if I had enough money to live for the rest of my life, this is the thing I do that truly makes me happy.

While I would love to buy my first STR in the Pigeon Forge area it is too rich for my blood at this point in my life.

I highly appreciate these recommended books because I honestly do believe the knowledge comes first and THEN apply that knowledge in real-life situations.

This is just a normal transition in life. 

I'm 25 and live in the Washington DC metro area, and work in financial services.I have done really well investing in the markets and have been trying to save as much as i can (while still enjoying life to the fullest), and have created a nice little nest egg to start my journey in real estate investing.The reason i am starting this thread, is because after living and renting in the DC metro area for 3 years here, i just do not believe the market here is attractive for buying house hacking or renting properties. 

Life is truly a self fulfilling prophecy .

I love being a private lender but the fact that it simply increases my taxable income makes me consider shifting some of my note portfolio to multi-family perhaps...You might find this discussion beneficial where similar question is raised: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/604...Owning notes in your retirement account (especially self-directed Roth IRA or Roth Solo 401k) is ideal since you can have tax-free income for the rest of your life if you utilize one of these vehicles.