Everything in my line of work and general life experience teaches me to be aware of and to account for the black swans that can foil your best laid plans.Starting this year, I should be able to put $30-40K per year toward rental properties or other assets.

I think as long as the numbers make sense and you're in the black on a monthly basis, nobody will fault you for buying something in your comfort zone. 

I learned after the first tenant to hire a pool service and build that cost into the rent after I got the house back the pool was black and full of frogs.  

As a courtesy, we provide a paper copy of the report to the applicant (make sure you black out your name and personal information) along with a letter of explanation of why it was denied (this is required by most states as part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Very active on BP and in MA, NH markets and also one of the founders of Black Diamond REIA.We have not personally worked with Ann (yet!)

You do luckily have one very good one fairly close in the Black Diamond event in Worcester.  

I'd also recommend the Black Diamond meeting in Waltham which is a bit of a trek for you but is definitely my favorite one.

I spent $16,444 renovating this 3-bedroom apartment at one of my properties.Here's the breakdown:- Kitchen faucet: $76- Thermostat: $30- Bathroom hardware: $34- Toilet: $94- SS stove: $250- SS microwave: $150- SS fridge: $781- SS dishwasher: $349- 6 MIL LVP flooring: $2,840- 4 black matte LED ceiling fans: $204- Bathroom faucet: $77- Bathroom vanity: $189- Bathroom mirror: $60- Lighting fixtures: $150- White shaker cabinets: $2,142- Black matte cabinet handles: $36- Blinds: $88- Black matte hinges: $51- Black matte door knobs: $108- Blanco single bowl sink: $100- Blanco sink rack: $25- Quartz countertop & install: $1,100- Smart lock: $40- Paint & materials: $565- Random materials/parts: $259- Labor: $6,646Renovation time: 30 daysPrevious rent: $575Signed leased: $1,610Long term hold strategy.I'm choosing to renovate every unit to a premium level finish with high quality materials.

You actually live up in Black Hawk?

You seemed to be hung up on what you've put into the place and at what specific point you're "in the black."