A few more things, always get a permit, have excellent insurance, set up security systems with cameras right away and really pay attention to your carrying costs.

@Sebastian E.

It's not uncommon for tenants to send in maintenance requests that are either generally difficult to understand or it's difficult to tell how to prioritize (do I need a plumber out now, on a Sunday at midnight or can it wait till Monday morning).I usually e-mail back for clarification or pick up the phone and ask.

I was hoping that with a schedule E, free and clear assets, and enough cash, I wouldn’t need a w2 type to accompany my financial statement. 

That's where a mix of mass mailings to door knocking (not my cup of tea) comes into play and you might be able to do a "cash for keys" type deal.Does any of this help?

My mother hadn't checked on the property in over five years, and recently received a notice in the mail from a town resident informing her that my mother's next door neighbor had been taking over the lot.  

At the time, I owned all my real estate personally, and would have a problem deducting them on my Schedule E.

Obviously dollar cost averaging would be different, but sticking everything in the C-fund is not very attractive from where I sit...Still undecided, but I'm definitely leaning toward rolling my TSP into an SDIRA or E-QRP and putting it in multifamily.Oh, and real estate is actually better from a taxable income standpoint than Roth or Traditional IRAs...

Read the book E-myth, it may have some wisdom worth indulging in.

Looking for a recommendation on how to organize my mailings and cold call lists.