That all leads me here today... we want to get serious with investing to produce enough sustainable income to replace my husband's job.

Do you think the appreciation is a fluke thing that is not long term sustainable and will eventually revert to the historical mean appreciation rates?

Read through threads and blogs until you find something that resonates with you then drill down and make sure you understand what you will need to master, the key terms and legal requirements.

I want you to build a long term sustainable business so you'll have the tools of wholesaling if/when you learn other areas of real estate as well.

Hello all,I am looking to purchase my first buy & hold investment property to provide sustained rental income.

I believe Chicago has great potential for nice ROI and cash flow, still you need to be careful to chose the right locations and type of property to maximize return, the rehab work to minimize maintenance and property management for a sustainable return.I have two unit buildings in the south of Chicago and single family homes in the south suburbs.

@Liz Cole  off you go took 35 post to get to the finish line but you got there and really don't take anything personal this is just the internet and a bunch of peoples personal opinions take them all with a grain of salt.. but when we have these type of interactions there is something for someone who reads them that this will help or resonate with.. we can't know what it is or who it helped..You could also just get your GC license as well.. its not that hard ..

Hard Money definitely has its place and usefulness - but as @Tom Shallcross pointed out above, all have their pluses and minuses.It all comes down to the math as to whether the project warrants, and can sustain the cost of hard money. 

A lot of different strategies, find one that resonates with you and go all in on that

Set a target for a sustainable debt load using your bank requirements.