@Lester Hess I feel this is a pretty risky buy based on the information I have.

Looking to start off fairly low risk. I

Cashflow really helps you reduce risk. I

Focus on the investment intent, aka holding, as opposed to flipping.Michael if you don't follow year and a day rule that is a risk I would not take.

If you are focused on the $120K gross/year, you may reach for propositions with a lot more risk (kinda what those "do nothing and get rich" guys teach).You take bigger risk with less experience and rely on the kindness of strangers, your odds aren't very good.Get experience first.

@Courtney Avila SF properties are generally considered a less risky investment, partly due to them being more liquid than multi-unit/commercial properties (more homebuyers than RE investors).

Seems like a risky time to buy rentals in college towns for the time being, but also an opportunity to sit back and wait for prices to drop if this situation continues throughout the school year.

Here is a strong example of how that risk is affecting investors today:Let's say you have one rental property in Manhattan.

Of course I’m not looking to get rich on this deal, I know small risk is small reward but I think it would be a great stepping stone and I want to take on a small rehab property as a learning experience to gain confidence for bigger deals that need more work. 

It sounds risky to me to have to handle paying back a line of credit and a mortgage at the same time.