Some things I would advise on would be to saving for expenses like CapEx and Vacancy. 

Short term (1-2 years): generate $2,000 cash flow after expenses per month (child care costs)2.

Besides driving for dollars to see whats out there, or browsing online to see what the average and median prices are...

Good Morning Everyone,What is the best accounting software option out there for a realtor to capture expenses/earnings and to do taxes? 

If you have to fend for plumbing and electrical won't that take most of the expense?

The problem for me is that I am from Southern California(Los Angeles) and as  you all know, it is very expensive here and the ROI is not great.

I live in Arizona, so school itself isn't that expensive (abt $400), which leaves the exam and any licensing fees.

It still seems like I could roughly break even on some of these properties, taking into account mortgage, property taxes, PMI, expenses, vacancies, etc., and I'd certainly benefit from the relevant tax incentives and would be earning equity, which is great—but is that enough?

So yes, this will cut your expenses for routine maintenance.

I love Portland and understand their sales prices relative to the rest of the country.When I flip, I like to look for a min 35% return on my capital after expenses.