AirDNA is decent for pure data, but they even put top cities to invest on their "top places to buy" list that have AWFUL regulatory environments.

She works as a sales rep with a reputed builder. she has a high income as it is purely commission based.

If it is a pure investment, you have to put at least 25% down (so 75k * 4 = 300k) so $300k would be the highest price you could pay.

If our goals were purely growth oriented, then I 100% agree that putting the money into new purchases makes the most sense.

People just need a place to do laundry, cook, take a shower, drink beer and sleep.

@Kole Moore It's a great place to househack but it's getting increasingly difficult to buy pure investment properties unless you're putting a large down payment like @Stephen Stokes mentioned or doing a large rehab on a place you got a great deal on.

@Nathan Hann I realize your question was best practices for cash for keys and you were not asking if you should or not but based on what you have written I don't think this option should be on the table.Give 30 days' written noticeHave a cold beer to drink after they verbally assault you.If they are still there after 30 days start the eviction process (have another cold beer waiting).If they trash the place take what you can from the security deposit and take them to small claims court for the rest.

And when we feel bad about ourselves, we do a few things – one is that we convince ourselves that we don’t really want that success, and that we are happy where we are; two, we bury our heads in the sand – we do nothing, or we eat, watch TV, drink, exercise, lots of different things to escape our feelings of inadequacy.We also get into ‘analysis paralysis’ about which direction to go in, which leads us into a vicious cycle of doing nothing, and beating ourselves up even more.When it comes to real estate, it’s hard for some to decide which path to take, and endless ‘How to Get Rich in Real Estate by Doing XYZ’ stories don’t make it easier for us to think clearly and take decisive action.How about we try a different approach, one I use with clients in my coaching capacity?

I joined a team at  my brokerage starting out which I highly suggest, purely because you aren't alone for questions and liability.

My personal opinion is that the pure hatred of landlords here, of any kind, make it less than desirable to me.There are plenty of folks making it work and there are plenty of folks owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent they will never see.