Make sure that the new tenant gives you a security deposit too.

Throw on top of that your involvement in the tenant selection process or actively engaged in rehabs by purchasing fixers that you make ready to rent.It is not necessary to manage your own properties, but it makes it easier especially when you only have 1 or 2 properties.Bottom line is it is a judgment call what level of activity constitutes "regularly involved."

I'm trying to secure funding on top of a 1031 I'm working on currently.

If it were me I would make the tenant responsible for both security deposits.

Had the underwriter not agreed to throw out that second appraisal and had logged it into the FHA system, you would have been screwed...that appraisal (at your purchase price) would have stuck with the property for any FHA resales for 6 months.You've absolutely proven the point I was making above -- the only difference being that you got lucky that the underwriter was willing to be reasonable.

Not a pretty picture when you are looking at retirement.Now, if you HELOC or get an equity loan, my advice is to pay that back as quickly as you can from your investments and then secure other investment properties with investment income.

The administrations coverup on Libya has 4 dead Americans on the other end, that were refused security by the Secretary of State, and it's incredible that the Dems are allowing the lies to continue.

I am secure and confident in all those areas.

- People like the relative security and stability of a paycheck- it takes some money to get started, not everybody has it- You will technically be a business owner, that's for sure not everybody's cup of tea- scared, like Rob said; not knowing enough or not interested in investing the time to learn enough- If people have money to invest, they like to diversify and not put all the eggs into one basket/house.

The cost like $1000 if you shop around and they are tough to break into if you secure them with good locks.