Cut your bills down and save as much money as you can.  

I'll play with Rentometer over the next few days and see how far it gets me.I was finding City-Data was cutting off in 2010 ish depending on the area. 

I should have looked into it earlier but this cuts into my expenses and is thousands more than I anticipated.

This isn't clear cut and dry.  

I’m just guessing the one that was cut off was the type that used a padlock, which can be easily removed with bolt cutters.

@Jay GarrisonHi Jay,I had a guy cut a tree down for me.

Knowing the ins and outs of managing a property, finding good contractors, and working through everything that comes up will help you in the long run when you have to put your trust in other people out of state to manage your investment.Also, a factor to consider is that if you are able to house hack, you not only get the cash flow (if you accept being less comfortable, it's not hard to cashflow a good amount) but you also cut out your living expense.

This will be consideration for investors needing to bring more money to close but if the numbers still work then that added safety should be helpful. 

Once again, don't over leverage just to get a deal done> Finally, I usually tell people to have at LEAST 6 months mortgage in the bank for safety net...1 year is ideal though.

At what point did you realize you were ready to cut off the 8-5?