Understand the NJ markets, such as Northern NJ, Central/Southern NJ, and Jersey Shore, and focus on building relationships with those active in your desired areas.Good luck!

Investors buy shares and earn returns through dividends and potential stock price appreciation.You typically can’t lose more than your initial investment with publicly traded REITs.

I am not going to rent a nice house to four 19-year-olds working at McDonalds because it's absolutely foolish, but I will put two of them in an apartment and give them a chance to earn a reputation.

If you need to earn more figure out what to do.

Your only real question here is how much additional equity can you earn before you sell before the rate resets and before you lose your capital gains exclusion, versus the opportunity costs if you sold and cashed out now.

Do you have the time/desire to be a PM for others? 

First of all I put my acceptance criteria clearly in the ad: minimum credit score (enter X amount, 620 is what I use),income 2-3x rent, good rental history, references, no evictions, acceptance dependent upon background check and employment verification, pet policy, desired lease term, etc. so that people will hopefully read that and not come to the open house if they know they won’t qualify.

Right now, focus on being the best salesperson ever and keep earning before you spend.

While it does not cash flow, you are at least earning money by paying off that mortgage which is approximately 60% principal. 

So, the real estate broker/agent would have to inform the seller of the fair market value of their home, making it much more difficult to earn a profit larger than what a real estate commission would be.