Health care can barely keep up now.  

But just wait until he feels the heat of that afternoon sun baring down on his house.  

Go Me...Anyway, after several years of barely hanging on to my inactive license and continuing the education requirements it just seemed ludicrous to hold on to it and I let it lapse.I wasn't even thinking much about investing.

So I'm waiting on my first deal still, but there's a chance it falls through (condo, short sale, pending bank approval currently), and if it falls through, we're considering a 3-flat (house hacking), possibly on the southwest or west side of the city (following the pink line basically).From my admittedly little experience of the neighborhoods, are they showing any sign of appreciation or gentrification?

I barely have the capitol for the down payment.Closing may have to go on credit cards.

Or someone who is weighted down with lots of debt and barely able to handle all the minimum monthly payments may benefit more from getting rid of some of that debt first as opposed to someone who just has one credit card balance and has no trouble handling the monthly minimum +extra and wants to jump in on their first sound investment. 

It barely helped, but I am in the beginning stages of learning. 

Hardie siding will eventually need to be re painted.If it were my property I would install the Hardie, I just like the way it looks and it is my opinion adds more value to the property.I think this comes down to preference and what your pocket book can bare.

In order to get a rent of $1200/$1300 a month, I would expect a house in the $100-150k, approx. 1800 ft2: - Insurance/HOA/Tax of about 30% rent (tax being the biggest hit at rates of 2.5-3%) - Vacancy, Maintenance/Cap Ex and Property Mgt another 30% of rentEven if I were to pay $100k for the house (20% down, 30 year loan at 5%) including rehab, I would barely cash flow.If the house was actually worth $150 but still paid $100k for it, I would now be $100 negative cash flow due to taxes.Tax/Vacancy/Cap Ex & maint/Property mgt are the major hitters.

(and who knows what the motives of 'better friend B' are?