Hey MattIt’s great that you’re practicing deal analysis and taking a conservative approach with a larger down payment.

The other is a service and sort of hospitality-oriented approach.

I've been chasing houses and unable to close deals, so I'm trying to regroup and try another approach. 

Demand for February/March move-ins should see a notable uptick sometime in January, but you'll for sure see your strongest rental demand in late spring/summer.Your most recent post mentioned that you were going to look for someone for a 6-month lease - I think this is a great way to approach it to minimize vacancy loss while biding your time until we get into the higher demand summer months.Getting creative with your lease term and credits/concessions could also be a good way to solve a few potential problems in one shot. 

There are other concerns with this approach, but 50% down on a ready to go $150k rental in a cheaper area?

For those of you actively working on fix-and-flip projects, particularly in dynamic markets like Houston, I’m curious about your approach to navigating today’s challenges.

As you narrow down your REI type, try to do the broad review approach to see if you have the resources to do that type or scale.  

Am I approaching this the right way, or am I missing a better alternative?

Within the last 2 months, I've been approached by numerous investors asking if I do rent by room which I currently do not.

@Silas Melson, I agree with @Bruce Woodruff that a price per square foot approach is likely to be the least accurate and least useful.