We bought 5 in the first two years, and our credit has now repaired enough that we could go after two more, if we weren't conserving all cash for UW tuition x 2.Keep us updated on your progress.

While the development is a work in progress, I have found that renting Section 8 housing is a successful investment because the tenants tend to treat the houses with respect (because they aren't allowed back into the program if they fail to) and the government assists in the renovation and 85-90% of the rent payment.  

There is certainly the appeal of buying in the path of progress, but I would be leary about potentially overpaying.

I had Little to No Money & No Experience but a few REI Boot Camps- basically No Experience...To say I've had a lot of Failures during my 14 years of being involved in studying REI is an Understatement...If I was starting all over again, and my objective is to be able to build a robust REI Biz that can allow me to rehab 6-12 homes a year, wholesale 2-3 properties per month, and build a rental portfolio...I would first focus on getting good at one objective first...Generally most people start out wholesaling because it doesn't require the money or experience rehabbing or landlording requires...I would start with Wholesaling...go find 5-10 very good rehabbers and find out their Criteria for a Great Deal...Commit to building Value for them and ultimately a great relationship.With this you will already have buyers lined up, you know what areas to look for properties in, and you can research public record and see what they are paying for properties on the acquisition(and also ask them, but keep them honest by researching public record)...At this point become the best wholesaler to these rehabbers...you will learn a lot just in this process alone...How to evaluate Comps, Repair Values, Neighborhoods, etc...Which a great wholesaler will know how to do...It will make your deals easier to sell...Ultimately I would see which one of these Rehabber will be open to the idea of partnering/mentoring me on how to get into that arena...They may even allow you to follow the progress of their deals...Every deal has its surprises and over the course of 10-20 deals you will get a real life idea of what those surprises are, and even understand the "reason why" you calculate certain contingencies into deals and also what are the most costly mistakes or repairs to look for and avoid on deals...The value of this Experience will accelerate your learning curve...In my experience one mistake for a beginner can cost you a ton of money and even put you out of the rehab business.There is no way you can learn all the mistakes you must avoid by reading a book or taking a 3-day training program.

Sometimes if you get stuck trying to find something in one you can jump over to the other and make some progress.

Here are some of the SKU’s we used:Material list (Interior):Wall and Ceiling Color – Aged Beige (Behr PPU 7-9) Trim Color – Riviera Beach (Behr PPU 7-7m) Door Color – Rolling Pebble (Behr PPU 7-23) Flooring – Hampton Bay High-Gloss Natural Palm (822-042) Carpet – Arabesque (1000-019-537) Interior Doors – Jeldwen Continental-Style (729-608) Living Room Light – 13” Bronze 2-Light Flushmount Twin-Pack (790-545) Dining Room Chandelier – 3-Light Bronze Riverside by Progress (661-224) Baseboards – Pro-Pack of 7/16?

@JoJo Diego, how are things progressing for you? 

When I was a Realtor, Direct Mail, walking a "farm" area and constant contact with past clients was how the business kept progressing. 

If you have a set dollar amount you want to achieve, it will be a lot easier to determine how long you'll need and how well you're progressing towards it.

Does anyone has experience with negotiating with the tenant attorney via your own attorney after the eviction complaint has been filed and the case is in progress awaiting third court appearence/due to undue motions and delays by tenant attorney.