@Juan De La GarzaI think the reality is it depends on the market and the market cycle.

I’ll be working out of state with these folks so it’s important to me that they are good, dependable people with connections to be my hands, feet, eyes on the ground.

You could buy a multifamily, fix it up, rent out units while living in one, then refinance to pull out your initial investment and repeat the process.Additionally, deep-diving into specific areas within your target markets will help you identify properties with higher rental potential for your mid-term strategy.And regarding owner-occupying your first multifamily, this could be an interesting option depending on your financial goals and risk tolerance.

I am a property manager all over the Triad, and our market is still very reliant on analysis that is street by street and dependent on the condition of the property or the renovation.

Ross, it all depends on your qualifications.  

- Well... it depends. 

You don't have to skip the daily Starbucks to do it, you need to focus on how will you save large (3.5-20% depending on route you go) sums of money. 

Deductibility depends on the type of charity and is also subject to a percentage of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

But, depending on loan to value and credit should be able to do much better then 10.24%.And the 10 number you mention is only for conventional loans.

Depends on the deal.