IE I put mine as “Tile not to exceed $3/sf shelf price.”The key is, you get your efforts paid, so even if they shop around your drawings, you made your day’s worth.

If you own your own home, you reduce your risk by having a stable cost of living while you build your fortune.If you start with a 1-4 unit you will get all the advantages of personal home ownership along with the bonus opportunity to have others pay your costs. 

Here’s a scenario: (Let’s talk about just the roof as an example, as it’s degradation rate is fairly stable.

These rough areas all suffer the same issues no matter if the house is 10k, 50k, 300k whatever it's the same thing.If you want to reduce your risk and increase your chances of being successful OOS figure out where you can buy that stable people want to live.

That helps you by giving your books a stable tenant. 

I have excellent credit and stable job.

Something about the potential for creating passive, stable income with real estate is what keeps me coming back to the idea of being involved in it. 

Our area doesn’t appreciate much but is somewhat stable.

I think you will be able to place a more stable/attractive tenant in that neighborhood though.If you are looking for a greater cash on cash return, consider the BRRRR strategy.

Also with prices that low and the renter percentage being so high I would worry about tenants having stable employment you would want someone with $3,000 per month in income (3x the rent).