Landlording is very hard and they are not structured to deal with it or patient enough to get rich slowly.

There is always a way to save money, but it is important to remain patient and conduct a lot of research so you know exactly what you can and cannot afford.Increasing home valueWhether or not you are planning on selling your home, you should always upgrade with the intentions of increasing the home’s value.

You might consider starting smaller as well.My wife and I fully intend to invest in multifamilies, from duplex's to apts.We are doing it primarily by house hacking our first one, and buying a duplex.You have plenty to get started in the direction you want to go.If that's just not the way you want then I would follow @Brian Gibbons advice and study up.Above all be patient, and when the right deal hits, don't be afraid to move on it

Be patient, this is not a timed event :-)

In a softening market you really need to be patient and wait for the right deal.

Cor Bay:Below is "path of progress land" (after a patient 30 years). 

If they're being ultra conservative, they're not bad but also not fantastic.You can easily find deals with 7-8% pref and 15%+ IRR projections if you're patient.

Analyze deals weekly and make offers that work for you...then be patient but consistent.

Anyways - my .02   Also dont go cheap on the bathroom doors - I'd put 36" or the next size up for bathroom and room entry doors -- this could be mandated by code as every state is different as we've all talked but the larger the doors the less issue you'll have and larger doors and larger bathrooms can also give more leeway in taking care of heavier care patients which is more revenue for the facility.

In columbus, it's still possible to beat the market by 5-10% or even more if you are patient and work with someone who is knowledgeable.