Once you can do deals by phone, then graduate to direct mail with the same message.You may win the lottery and get lucky using some off the shelf letter to an off the shelf list, but you shouldn't count on it.

I know someone who raises capital that touts their unit count constantly and now they are moving on to events/seminars teaching people how to syndicate.

If I'm following your above explanation, if I overpay in a year and the escrow account pays me, then do I count that as income? 

@Stephen Anderson that makes sense and since you know those other areas i'd say that ALMOST doesn't count as out of state investing.

@Michael Skvorak hey Michael, you can count me in for sure!

@Jason Graves sounds like I missed a great meet up, next time, please count me in! 

My tax guy is good, so he shows my rentals as taking losses with depreciation etc and as a result when I go to get more loans, I cannot count my rental income. 

The home is located in an area 30-45 min outside of a major city  in a suburb that is not expected to appreciate in value, and has comparable homes on the same street currently valued between $42-60K for the same sq ft and bedroom count. 

If you can do that, and we count the monthly payment into the debt ratio, you should be fine from there.Some portfolio loans also underwrite to some of the conventional guidelines, so some portfolio do and some don't?

I wouldn’t count on a recession.