I am trying to find some good books to read soon to help me grow and increase my knowledge in real estate.

If I could what other investors are looking for and successfully help by generating leads, when I'm ready to begin investing I'll know exactly what I'm looking for to increase my odds of success.

I completely understand where you’re saying wear and tear exists, but I think it’s probably unlikely that ANY landlord could expect the place to be in perfect shape when the tenant arrives and leaves, natural wear and tear is going to happen.

@Travis Raila  @Shital Thakkar @David Martin JrI would disagree with @Ali Boone , even though she may be correct that prices have increased in the Atlanta market, I still see very strong potential for 10+% cap rates and great ROI.

For instance, changes to tenant laws, enactment of rent control, continual increase of property taxes, etc. could all throw the math out of whack.

I was thinking of Chicago, IL but their property tax seems to be constantly increasing a lot and seems pretty expensive.

Now, I know the object is to keep expenses low and profit high, but could a few simple additions increase your bookings?

A mentor will probably COME NATURALLY at some point if you really focus on networking.

I have a decent paying job(state worker) for a 23 year old, and my savings for my down payment is increasing rapidly while my DTI is decreasing. 

It can change over time and the Fed has stated they still have intended increases to Prime rate planned for the next year or so.