@Preston Brown Assuming the property is maintained in decent condition and you are engaged or hire a property manager, a 5% vacancy rate will be plenty conservative for that type of property.

Sometimes, it's just easier to find a great agent who will work alongside you with your investing.Hope this helps!

Move to last night as the new tenants arrive to unload their belongings the existing tenant sister is at her house double parked nose to nose off the garage blocking access to the new tenants parking space (duplex home, single drive along side of house then widens in rear for 3 car parking).

A lot of that depends on how many and what types of assets you currently have and what types of business they are engaged in.So, your current advisers are in the best position to answer this question.

I'm looking forward to engaging with the bigger pockets community!

@Brandon Heath Although self-directed IRA investing is a great strategy, caution is required when dealing with family to ensure you don't accidentally engage in a "prohibited transaction" with a "disqualified person."

If any contractors out there willing to teach me and let me work alongside, please let me know.Thanks

So far, I've done a google search of local commercial lenders and written several e-mails but haven't gotten a good response (1 lender from Dallas contacted me).I'm figuring the best reference for good people come from others engaged in the same practices.  

I signed up just as an investor wanting to engage with other investors and the whole thing seemed shady.  

Zillow, her complaint says, "should not be engaging in this business practice without a valid appraisal license and, further, the consent of the homeowner."