I prefer to manage myself not because I will save money, but because I prefer to screen my own tenants and take care of tenant issues myself rather than have someone else do it.

Many people who end up seeking help from churches, other non profits, social service organizations, and consumer rights lawyers have been drawn in and spit out by these so-called 'foreclosure solutions' MLM programs.All too often the promised "soluition" fails to live up to expectations leaving the distressed homeowner in worse shape.... having wasted prescious time and perhaps after spending hundreds of dollars for an otherwise free for the asking service.Do some people benefit from such a one-stop solution shoppe?

I am in the Hollywood area, but travel to the Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena area quite often and sometimes West Covina

I know that's a "possible" number, but it isn't a "guaranteed" number.On almost any property the top 10% of FMV is often just "fluff".

Large scale investors (to the magnitude you speak of) are faced with the same issues you have mentioned (dings to personal DTI and credit report/scores, etc.) and often turn to private funding to avoid these concerns.

I'm sure many people have done this, but I'll bet that most of them don't fully understand why they are doing it, and many of them are losing money without realizing it.What's USUALLY in the back of their mind when they do this, but is often subconcious, is that they are COUNTING on the house to appreciate and/or rental rates to go up.

i read the home depot and lowes circulars religiously, and often find my idea of a nice afternoon to be walking home depot with a starbucks and a notebook.

When EVERYONE is doing it (buying RE, investing in "tech" stocks etc) it quite often TOO LATE.

Chances are that when you only own a few rentals, you won't experience this very often, but let's look at the result.Let's say that you buy a rental that only has $15 positive cash flow per month ($180 per year).

I'm sure he/she was referring to an assistant.Of course laws differ by state, but I know that here in Tennessee the law is very explicit about what exactly you can and cannot do without a real estate license (this comes up all the time, since busy agents often hire assistants and it needs to be absolutely clear about what they are allowed to do and what must absolutely be done by the licensed agent).