If it makes you feel any better, a contractor that aims for around 30% to 40% gross margin will end up around EBITDA around the low teens if they do everything correctly.

When you have time, please research all the tax benefits you will receive, and all the associated costs that come with homeownership.I know this suggestion doesn't sound sexy or exciting, but it really is a super easy way to build automatic wealth.

I love listening to the Money Show podcast to get some extra motivation and tips; however, I am the dad of 3 teen/pre-teen boys.

These Midwest cities like Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh aren't as sexy as the coast cities as San Francisco, Seattle, or LA. 

I guess old world patience and fiscal responsibility aren't very sexy.

Wholesaling IS a SUPER attractive option for sellers and I am too lazy to explain how and why, but it is obvious nonetheless and you WILL get them signed when you are either super sexy (like me), Super charming like me... or know how to explain things genuinely and transparently.2) Get A StinKIN websiteYup, you need a super killer website.

They are fewer and farther between, but they still exist if you're patient and know what you're looking for.I suspect returns in the SFR space are getting crunched due to being in a sellers market (higher sales prices = lower returns for investors) along with the added demand from investors who are buying SFR's to use as short-term rentals.The vacation rental model is sexy on the surface, but most people ignore the fact (or simply don't understand/know) that these are very cyclical. 

Just because you see everyone speeding on the highway, would your advice to a new teen-age driver be to speed to?

A CoC ROI in the mid teens or better, with traditional financing, 25% down.Make sure you adjust your debt service numbers, they'll likely be $100-150/month higher than what you used.

@Chris Thomas We ask ourselves the same question all the time... but at the end of the day we are pretty conservative people and have seen many people in our lives lose it all (including my parents while I was a teen) so we really don't think its smart for us personally to put all our eggs in one basket.