But it’s been a great business for us with minimal risk, a good return, and no need to please investors or manage employees!!!

I have friends who manage this kind of properties in Mexico.

I also didn't realize how many different skills were required, from financing to managing contractors to permits to city inspections to managing tenants or property managers.

Material Participation Activities:Property Maintenance: Engage in repairs or construction work on the property to maintain or enhance its condition.Contractor Management: Oversee the hiring and coordination of contractors or handymen for property-related tasks.Tenant Interaction: Communicate with tenants regarding lease agreements, inquiries, or property issues.Property Acquisition: Invest time in property search and evaluation processes, including visits to potential investment properties.Property Management Tasks: Perform activities typically handled by property management companies, such as rent collection or property inspections.Non-Qualifying Activities:Educational Pursuits: Time spent on real estate education or training programs does not count towards material participation.Investor Hours: Hours dedicated to investment analysis, financial planning, or portfolio management are not considered material participation.

HOA management companies seem to be increasing fees for no reason except to hold more cash without actually making improvements. 

Price range, what you intend to achieve in the future, or the preference of managing the two rental units are some considerations for choosing between an apartment complex versus a single house to live in for life.

The age of the housing stock coupled with the inexperience of a student tenant might make it difficult to keep up with maintenance without a strong property manager.

OBX is a great place, but it will take a very long time to be cash positive based on its current pricing, management fees and the short season.We were going to also use it during offseason but its just a pain to get too.

Takes work to do that, as well as being able to manage your own feelings about the situation.  

For those of you making a decent amount of MLS offers every month (15-20), how are you tracking and following up on your offers? Any good CRM's you could recommend? Every time I have more than like 10 offers out I sta...