If I tried to start today with the same funds I had back in 2018 I would probably own about 10 doors.In my opinion, it is really not a great time to be getting real estate (broadly speaking) - which when you think about it is the whole reason why the Fed cranked up rates - to slow down the economy, inflation, housing sales & price increases, etc.   

I had been looking for properties around the area I currently live, but very few make sense in regard to the numbers given the current state of the economy.

. , and then I'd say in terms of employment, you want a diverse economy.

This is what I just wrote about in a piece I submitted for publication on how the Gig Economy presents new opportunities to the middle class investor.

When houses were "affordable" nobody wanted to buy and it wasn't a "good" time because the economy was awful.... even though that's when it was the "best" time. 

They believe putting it on the MLS will make the most sense to them.Like everyone else, we are always willing to partner with people that want to learn through experience and find more propductive ways to find deals.There is money to be made in real estate in this current economy, if you find deals that have not yet hit the MLS.

One cannot control the outside forces (government/economy/career/medical/etc.). 

Stick to the facts, not propaganda and emotions.Our economy is seeing real job and income growth past inflation for the first time in decades, by the way.

What is driving the economy there, etc? 

It's a depressed economy and you're not going to be able to get great rents.