The key factor is the amount paid and the nature of the payment, not the payment method.

The closures arrived at a time when Phoenix's retail market was tight, with space for expansion becoming increasingly rare.

Unless you can get the price significantly reduced, walk away Tim!

@Jonathan Greene we've been promoting this tactic for over 15 years:)I was doing it 40 years ago for my dad when there was no internet so I get it.

They let my on-site manager know they were going to "take a trip for a birthday party" and have not returned. 

30 yr mortgage with VA How did you add value to the deal?

The city is still economically not showing the types of growth that you’ll find in areas like the Lehigh valley which in my book are a huge pro.

Patience can be your best friend and if you attempt to over leverage a property it can come back to hurt you.Some will recommend buying subject 2 where you could take over an existing mortgage that could be at a substantially lower rate - but if the lender finds out and calls the loan that could also be very bad.

If the STR is placed into service at the end of the year, they can use the paper-loss from the STR to 'potentially' offset other forms of income such as wages, interest, dividends, etc.Best of luck

Go to Etsy and search for "rental property tracker," and you will find hundreds of nice spreadsheets to track 10-20 rentals, usually for under $10.Software has extremely helpful features like online payments, marketing syndication (click a button, and your property is advertised on multiple sites), electronic document review/signing, maintenance tracking, and owner reports.