Also looking to build a solid Long Island based team (Agent, contractor, lender).

You just have to deal with lead base paint inspections and random rental inspections now though.

I'm based in WI and there are several people from NY investing here, some successful and some not---the common thread I see from the ones that are not is that they relied on someone else for information instead of investigating, VERIFYING and doing their own due diligence. 

I would not eliminate OKÇ based on tornadoes, that is why you carry insurance.It will very difficult to find something in Austin that fits your budget.  

@Eric L ConryI would base it on your cash flow NEEDS, not wants.

It looks like you are doing an affordable build based on the cost but hard to say since you didnt provide info on the build itself such as square footage and finishes.

I was trying to appeal to the next generation with more app-based management rather than phone calls and emails.  

The modeling of this is actually pretty easy (see link: 42-unit proforma sample), but my model treats the pre-refi loan as I/O, but that can be updated based on your deal.

Prices a few years ago were based on expectations of (in addition to interest rates staying low): - Then current operating cost assumptions (like insurance cost expectations being flat)- A seeming disregard for record levels of new inventory / supply hitting the market- Extremely high inbound migration expectations which are likely to not be met, due to both natural disasters and the boomerang effect when people from California or the Northeast move to the American South and hate every minute of the humidity, the large and relentless swarm of insects, and the occasional hurricane. 

In high-cost markets like Chicago, that can be tough to meet.If you're looking at a duplex, the self-sufficiency test doesn’t apply, so you’d just need to qualify based on your personal income and the rental income your lender allows.If your current lender isn’t familiar with making FHA work in your situation, it might be worth getting a second opinion from someone experienced with FHA multi-unit financing.