Upcoming special assessments for a roof that needs to be replaced or other capital improvement can kill your deal and once you're in, you're stuck with the bill if you don't negotiate the seller to pay it.And last but not least, if the building/association drops to less than 70% owner occupied units, forget about getting a loan in the development until the percentage goes back over 70%, which can kill your exit strategy.I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, just be careful out there!

The national average would be much higher if not for the Atlantic region (slower economy, not as much increase in real estate prices).

This property is a stone throw from 10's of millions of dollars in new development.

In regard to your advice about the Realtor, well, I'm hoping that the mls access I would have, the elbow grease I would put in, the knowledge of real estate I would develop, the colleagues I would meet, the broker I would get able to easily get the advice of, and the percent or two in gain vs. paying a Realtor will make my decision a smart one.

If I ever decide to ramp back up the volume then private money is a no brainer.Crowd funding will be an interesting space to watch develop over the next few years.

Some just provide financing for deals, others invest in homes, apartments, development, commercial, etc.Another option for you that is fairly passive is tax lien investing.

I have just closed on and have started another syndication in a resort development on the Island of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Make sure the cash flow is secure with high quality tenants.Eliminate all personal debts.Secure your personal income streams (work / education / skill development) for yourself and your family.Leave yourself a cash emergency fund that can cover a year's worth of all personal and real estate expenses.These first few properties should be completely paid off.

Also I'm with an investor friendly company that has on going professional development for investors.

I would love to hold properties in perpetuity, but given my grandparents and their parents, are no longer here, the prospect is doubtful.I'm one of these numbers driven geeks - 2.5 decades in software development and design may play a part - and, as such, all our properties were modelled prior to acquisition.