BP community,I'm new to BP and am looking to make by first real estate investment sometime before year's end following a failed SFR investment that I held from 2011 to 2013.

People that talk about the amount of “interest saved” in prepaying mortgages often fail to mention the opportunity cost of NOT investing those funds elsewhere.

@Susan H.Why should one fail to report it?

I also have a seen peers try and fail with a "fool proof" method. 

Over the past 25 years you would be shocked at some of the parks that have failed.

What many people fail to recognize is any calculator is a tool to provide results based on a given scenario.

If you are just begin or are average when it comes to investing, managing tenants, managing maintenance, increasing the value of the property by making improvements and if you don't have the business savvy then I would stay from leveraging, re-financing, and 2nd loans (all the same, I guess) because if one property investment fails your empire will come crashing down like dominoes.

If you get a property under contract but don’t have an end strategy, then deals will go stale and you’ll lose a lot of accountability and that will make you fail before giving you a chance to start.

If they're adjustable lally columns, they'll fail FHA and VA appraisal and possibly others. 

Sure, they will credit some of the above market rent toward the purchase price, but keep in mind that the purchase price is likely inflated to begin with, and if you fail to close out the deal you get none of that money or your option fee back.In short, it should be called one of the riskiest ways to buy a home.Now if you can find a one off Seller who is simply willing to rent to you until you can close out the purchase, then you may have something.