Our goal is to be financially free within 3 - 5 years, allowing us to work on this endeavor full time.I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the site as it has been an amazing help and I look forward to staying engaged on the forums to pay that back as best I can starting with this way too past due introduction.My wife and I are focusing on buy and hold rentals and flips in the Chicagoland / Central Illinois areas. 

I have been staying home for the past 3 years, raising our son and won't be returning to work for another 6 months. 

Many investors who don't specialize in fire damage tend to stay away because it is more than just cosmetic and smoke damage can penetrate more than expected. 

Generally, I would just stay out of rough neighborhoods unless that's what you want to specialize in.

Please try to believe in the good guys out here in the world and stay on the hunt for your deals Sir 👍😉

That is a strategy that we have done but particularly early on when we didn't know how much better it was to stay in the deals (better for the seller and also more profitable). 

I’m surprised there isn’t more talk about this.

Unless you personally witnessed the damage being done, I'd stay out of the middle of it. 

We've chosen to stay away from the Beloit area, but have been interested in how others are successfully renting and in what areas of the town.

Am I obligated to stay with the first applicant we told we would move forward with?