It isn't fun most of the time but it is immensely gratifying.

It is mainly about the deal, but those with experience know it is what you do with the deal that matters even more and it sounds like you have a good idea of what to do right there.Keep us posted as it is always fun to watch driven people grow.

Its fun though.  

Hunting for a vacation rental is even more fun.

I'm only a couple years into this journey and I can tell you first hand that it is extremely fun and rewarding so enjoy the ride and try to immerse yourself with everything REI related (Listening to podcasts, being active on these forums, networking with local investors,.....) 

But I take that with a grain of salt - although there may be corration, rising home prices is not the economy.I was more interested in how the Fayetteville NC economy is faring.A fun story - I had an investor friend in the Seattle WA area who complained people were paying full retail price for distressed auction properties.

You haven’t really done real estate until you’ve installed a “boob” or two. If you’re guilty like me, you might also get some mild entertainment out of this brief narrative I found on Youtube about “Why ‘Boob Lights’ ...

in addition to the other suggestions, when you find a realtor make sure they give you rent comps, too. buying a 'deal' that won't support the rent is not a fun lesson to learn...

I'm located in northern California -in Sonoma county with quite the challenging market forces in cost per square foot but not increased rents and thought this would be a fun game to play.

I'm located in northern California -in Sonoma county with quite the challenging market forces in cost per square foot but not increased rents and thought this would be a fun game to play.