I’m also in the process of reaching out to people in my city/neighborhood who are experienced REIs, RE agents, and GCs to get their insight and pick their brains, start to conceptualize potential partners, etc.

Picking a house with major, costly structural issues or in a location with poor rental demand can hurt both the rental and refinance phases.

I'd like to pick a good platform and keep everything under one roof - not need multiple tools. 

Try to pick a strategy that you can be passionate about and of course makes sense.

I’ve had other clients who preferred this approach..one even found a gem in Glenview at a time when the suburb wasn’t as well-known, and today his property’s value has grown by 15% in the past three years alone.With the anticipated drop in mortgage rates in 2024, the suburbs might be a solid pick for someone new to the market, especially if you’re looking to build equity without dealing with the volatility of city investments.So, for a first-timer, think about your goals: high appreciation and some hands-on work?

If you had to pick one state with the highest change of exploding insurance premiums over what they are now, other than maybe CA, it's Florida.

Unfortunately as good as TurboTax and other online softwares are, they don't always pick up the most beneficial items with rentals.

Reach out to other news outlets and see if anyone wants to pick up the story about it?

In the end, it's really about having the patience and the mindset to keep showing up without expectations.Early on, I was all in, invested in every decision they made, and then I'd watch them pick something like a cul-de-sac home that's going to appreciate slower, and I’d think, “Why not consider a property with more built-in equity?”

If the property is on a boundary or near the edge of a neighborhood you may need to pull the comps within a mile and then pick out the ones in the same neighborhood as the subject property within a reasonable distance.