Although I do not always agree with Mike's 50% expenses rule, he is close here and may even be under what your expenses will be.

What you most want to avoid are 1) foreclosure, 2) selling your properties at distressed prices, and 3) having to rent to anyone with a pulse just to get cash flow.In personal finance, it is a general rule that one should bank at least six months worth of expenses in case one lost one's job.

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Something to watch for when you're buying if you expect to do this and get the down payment and credit card money back.Learn and apply the normal rules about rentals.

sometimes i have  the same troubling thought , which makes you think twice , look left , right , forward and backward .That's when i use a simple rule of thumb that i was taught .Don't over-complicate it . when there is too much mess walk away . there are plenty more to look at .Hope this helps.

I don't know why everyone is so shocked that age old basic supply and demand rules are in still in effect.

They are looking at these transactions now as taboo.Unfortunately, soo many greedy investors as well as unethical ones, have ruined many of the creative startegies we have used and new laws, rules, regulations, and lending practices are changing.

Credit is excellent but the "not more than 4 or not more than 10" rules have me collecting rents and watching TV.Ideas would be appreciated.

The rule of thumb is that to make a profit, you must buy a property at 70% of ARV, less the costs of repairs.

If your fellow NRU people could act in accordance with our site's rules, they'd be more than welcome to post here and participate.