My wife and I both have good jobs that we plan to keep as we’re able to have savings that we re-invest in future downpayments.

I am working on a deal in the area now, and I noticed the appraisal came in lower than expected, and the rents came in a lot lower than expected.

If the property appreciates at the expected 5% annually (a reasonable assumption in many parts of Florida), that's a $20,000 increase in value on a $400,000 property.

Real estate investment can be a great way to secure your financial future - with the right tools and guidance, you can make smart investment decisions and build a solid portfolio that will pay off in the long run. 

@George RedHowey test is the best way to determine if it is a security and thus either need to file with security or do an exemption like a 506cIt’s basically 4 parts:An investment of moneyIn a common enterpriseWith the expectation of profitTo be derived from the efforts of othershttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/howey-test.aspSo in a jv is one person finds the asset and one renovated it or both are acting in some capacity and making decisions - then you could consider a jv, but if one is a money partner and that’s it then the profit is due to the efforts of others Not an attorney

Currently, its very hard to make SFR cash flow in my market and you're right, I do expect it to be a bit challenging finding a lender for this purchase amount, but not nearly as hard as it is to make SFR's cash flow!

Please forward your info, though, in case I require assistance in the future. 

I kind of lucked into my first rental property as I bought a house during COVID with a low interest rate and the intention to live in it for the foreseeable future.

There has been a lull since January 2023 to nowI think some NAR group researched that the Jacksonville Market had no growth / small negative growth in 2023.That is expected given the high growth in Jacksonville from the prior 10 years.I think the first 1/2 of 2024 will continue to be flat / negative.

For a first time investor you can expect to put at least 30% down.