I'm sure there are plenty of people who made fast money in REI, but overall it seems like this business is more less slow and steady wins the race type vs a fast buck..

A steady job for 2 years and a down payment of 3.5% or 20%, and the personal ability to not be a recidivism statistic.He will have to comply with Parole, because not being tossed in the can again is crucial to this.I've been told a decent paying job for ex-convicts if they are strong and dependable workers is working on a concrete finishing crew.If he can come up with the down payments and meet the lender requirements for work history and financial numbers I don't see any other thing holding him back.But without those two, all of the knowledge in the world isn't going to help much.The zero down stuff, seems few and far between.Good Luck!

I've worked at my current job for the past two years so have had steady employment and have built up some savings over the years.

My wife will also be starting her career as a teacher in two years, which will contribute towards that.Specifically, my goal is to build enough passive income to have a steady cash flow of ~$10,000 a month.

Just remember, there are no secrets and shortcuts in real estate investing, just slow and steady progress.

It is a steady market for cashflow and they have some developments in the works that will only help the region attract more residents and business. 

Dallas is doing well, I don't think it will have the same growth like Austin, but slow and steady is fine for me

A <5% cap rate could be an indicator of a market with steady rent growth, high demand, growing population and higher average annual appreciation. 

Desktop valuation is free and we have had steady and high appreciation.

You can find some more info online about the trends here, but it is basically a steady line up since around 2010ish.