It is all too easy to get fooled with REI if you don't consider the sage advice from gentlemen like yourself. 

RE deals are not easy to find but they are still out there.

It's very easy to feel overwhelmed in the beginning. 

There's nothing wrong with vegging out, watching a good movie, or checking in on Facebook from time to time, but it's far too easy to fall into the trap of wasting too much valuable time on things that have no long term worth. 

Annual Operating Expenses Real Estate Taxes $14,650.00 Insurance $6,874.00 Water and Sewer $18,171.00 Snow Removal $0.00 Trash Removal (ROT $60 x 12) $3,768.00 Electric $10,594.00 Gas $9,803.00 Oil $0.00 Legal (rule of thumb) $500.00 Management Fees 10% $0.00 Repairs and Maintenance $49,329.00 Other (Turn Costs + Onsite) $41,222.00 Other (Onsite Manager) $24,000.00 Total Annual Operating Expense $178,911.00 I'm thinking this is a pretty easy fix.

It is not easy to fix everything but you can rapidly build up your credit score to a decent level.

It's hard to dedicate the time needed to do so with my first child and work but if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

It's very hard to build, but very easy to lose. 

Perhaps I took the easy way out, because there is certainly a correct way to go about the house flipping strategy.

I've been lining up contractors and inspections while being away and let me tell you, it's not easy.