@Clark Michael one of the podcasts (I forget which one), an investor used a carrot trick as an incentive to their live in property manager person with free rent and a bonus above a percentage of occupancy rate.

ALSO, bonus points if you can share a system for saving receipts.  

So reading these books won't make you an investor overnight, let's just state the obvious here.However, they will provide you with a solid foundation of what is possible so that you can begin to expand your mindset.Learning how to invest in real estate is like learning a new language, both can be challenging and require dedication and perseverance, but once you speak it, you broaden your horizons.As an added bonus, real estate can help you achieve financial freedom and escape the 9-5.So, here are the first three books you should read if you want to learn about real estate investing:"The Art of Wholesaling Properties" by Aram Shah and Alex Virelles is all about wholesaling real estate.

While that person might make $4 an hour plus a bonus, what you are paying for is for them to be trained and found.

Bonus points if the lender does not sell the loan to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac for the reasons detailed above.

If inflation is here to stay for a while, remember what commodity you are purchasing....land, lumber, copper, plaster, concrete, etc...all commodities in one basket with the bonus of generating cash flow, tax benefits, and ability to get leverage (essentially shorting the dollar that is depreciating everyday).I hope this provides some useful perspectives to think about and discuss. 

(although they don't grow as high, so there's less mowing once it's established -- that's a bonus!) 

The other bonus, the rental income form the other unit counts toward your qualification.

Now our goal is to refinance those properties before the end of the year so my banker can get a big fat bonus and I can get out of high interest.   

A cost segregation study is a strategic tax planning tool that separates the assets that have a shorter useful life and can be depreciated over 5, 7 and 15 years from the residential rental property or nonresidential ...