That said, if I had been as financially educated then as I am now, I would have at least considered taking in a roommate, or “house hacking” in a duplex while living in one side.

We want my wife to be equally involved in our new side-hustle, so are there any introductory type of books that you would recommend to help my wife get in the right mindset for running a real estate business?

I was doing some research and running the numbers is slightly different on the cost side:Insurance is likely more expensive for STRPM is way more (and I'd feel uncomfortable with most people doing this)Operating expenses for a hotelExtra CapEx for furnishingsUtilitiesThe revenue side seems really tricky and if someone can nail this down I'd love to hear their thoughts.

I'd say that you want to learn as much about the property as possible before going under contract, especially the big-ticket exterior items (i.e. roof, HVAC, parking lot, clubhouse, siding, etc.).

I haven’t been looking for that long but I’ve mostly seen $350k and up, and anything on that low side is a serious fixer upper.

Except that with the market being so hot right now and with the way that Vallejo and all of the East Bay crashed in 2008 I would be a little bit worried about buying right now. 

The fact they are complaining online might be an indication the property manager dealt with them properly so be sure to ask the manager for their side of the story.I hope this basic guide helps.

It is free and will post the unit to hot pads and trulia automatically.I found this a MUCH better source of decenf quality tenants than Facebook marketplace or Craigslist.

What does it mean when it's listed as a HOT market for one rather than the other? 

Hi Brian,I am an engineer here in Huntsville as well and do buy and hold real estate investing on the side.