Honestly, I agree with them on many levels but my personal financial situation couldn't afford those areas at that time.

Having a house with a yard is a huge plus in my mind so while I think you will get pinched a bit (rent flat to down 10% or longer vacancies of 1-2 months), there will always be a demand for entry level house rentals.

Not the greatest renters, generally older houses, etc.

I believe in setting goals, so for my real estate venture,  I want to achieve a level of success where the properties I have are generating enough income to leave the "9 to 5" behind, and provide a value of at least $10,000,000.

Lesson Learned: if it doesn't serve a purpose in your life, let it go early, move forward, and gain ground on purpose.Now, I find myself wanting to get serious and work a wealth-building model that will create wealth through passive income and long term asset growth by solving problems and meeting needs.My high level business model consists of flipping properties (wholesale & rehab) to generate cash down to purchase commercial and MFR properties with reduced financing balances to generate long-term positive cash flows.

However, the elephant in the room none of us had any comfort level for, was the roof.Now being the rainy season in Tennessee, it wouldn't be long before it would rain.

Sure our entry levels are cheaper  but if you found success at home.

You need to know your business inside and out for 2 reasons.First, you want to talk a lot with these experts you’re going to hire in the other markets so you can test their skills and get comfortable that their expertise is at your level or higher.

My Duplex total payment = 1,480 and the lower level pays me 1,200 while I live upstairs.

Next level up is rehabbers who buy and renovate to resale.