When I first started out I purchased everything with 20% down and had enough available much through credit cards which can be problematic also to withstand a few months of vacancy or a $10k repair.

I created an electronic google doc time tracker: Time LogContemporaneous time log of rental real estate activitiesActivity DescriptionTenant recruitmentTenant screeningNegotiating and executing leasesOverseeing repairs and maintenanceCommunications with tenants and vendorsTravel timeResearch for potential rental real estate (pub 925)Acquiring rental real estate (pub 925)Paperwork/bookkeeping/bankingResearch and purchase of materialsRent collectionEvictionOn-site cleaningBill paymentOther:Time SpentDateMM/DD/YYYYSubmit

Purchase price: $675,000 Cash invested: $250,000 Country estate with 2 houses.

Is it better to have a willing seller and buyer before sending the initial purchase/sale agreement?

So pretty good equity position within a year plus cash flowing well based on a $325k purchase price.

The buyer ended up buying and reconverting to a single family, and doubled his purchase price.Yeah, that's actually a really good and in-the-now viable strategy. 

When we moved, we turned it into a rental, hoping this would be the start of our real estate journey—something we’d like to continue once my husband retires.Some key details:My husband is active duty and will retire in 3 years.We have one final move coming up this summer to Raleigh, NC.Our current debts are crippling us—the high interest makes it tough to stay afloat every month.The plan me and my husband are thinking bout:Sell the rental property.Use the proceeds to pay off all our debts, set aside emergency funds and a down payment for our next home.Free up $1,500/month from debt payments, and that also can stash in a high-yield savings account.Regain full VA loan entitlement, allowing us to purchase a multifamily home and use the house hacking strategy for up coming move.Avoid capital gains tax, since April marks five years of ownership, and the tenant’s lease ends in May.This wasn’t our original plan, and we hate the idea of using our equity to pay off debt.

Purchase price: $425,000 Cash invested: $5,000 Helped my past client out of a difficult situation.

In the next 2 years, I'll be looking to purchase a MFR to househack. with the idea of reinvesting all of the cashflow to help scale.

Or buy something that needs some love and some hard money lenders will fund up to 90-100% of the purchase and rehab.