That is what has proven over the years to produce the best results. 

Hello BP,As a new construction and development specialist I am always on the look for opportunities and deals that could produce some newly constructed properties.

They ignore superb research long produced by the Illinois Policy Institute.

However at this time I have about half of my portfolio in duplexes and the headaches they seemingly produce are worth it. 

My instincts tell me that they are watered down information produced to sell higher priced programs.

If that happens Obamacare will try to put the exchanges on the states. 33 have not set up anything and will not bear the cost so it's really a big mess.The whole system was predicated on healthy 20,30,40 year old's paying crazy rates for 1,000 a month policy who never make a claim to offset older people and the poor who heavily use the system for care.

I will keep grinding and hopefully land a few solid deals that can produce some positive results. 

As one example here in the Bay Area where I live if I found a property I could in fact purchase and generate a cash flow of 5% I might think that is great but in other areas it may be common for properties to generate from 8% to 15% and there may be many properties that will produce this result instead of very very few.

You could approach a commercial/asset based lender and they may give you a loan based more on the ability of the property to produce income versus your DTI.

It is not for lack of trying: we have looked at many "potential" candidates, even tried to underwrite a handful, but vendors think they are sitting on pots of gold and there is too much loose money about these days driving the prices into the realm of silly.It is much better to have a healthy sum in your bank account than a bad deal ... there will always be another candidate property and prices will eventually re-align themselves with fiscal reality.