I live in Maryland but have family in the west central area , so I am comfortable investing .

That margin is too tight for my comfort.

All the other ideas and strategies are just at a bigger scale, the jump from SF to Apartments is more about capital then anything else for most people and comfort level, ironically enough the same reasons people don't get into RE investing to begin with just at a different scale.

You need to find your comfort level but you are looking for an investment, not a project.Good Luck!

One of our tenants with one child told us that they had been paying $60/month at the laundry mat to do their laundry, they are much happier now that they have it in their home.In my experience, renting an apartment that at least has access to laundry it much easier than one without.

They are older and would be dipping below a comfortable liquidity level which is totally understandable.

So, with the GOE and the capital that I had saved of my own from hustles I've done to controlling my budget and being frugal, I still did not have enough for a down payment I felt was adequate to give me a mortgage I was comfortable with monthly.

I know people start without getting their license first but I feel much more comfortable taking this route.

I later on got my own business and worked at a non profit, along side people under collections and had good reason not to be found.One guy fathered a child 16 years before, owed child support for 16 years, never paid.

I feel more comfortable with the Dallas market as cash flow is better and solid appreciation with stable diversified market.