As such, the city's economic stability could provide a favorable environment for your first investment.Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham offers a good rental demand, affordable property prices, and a relatively favorable rent-to-price ratio.

Any suggestions you have on finding a good deal properties closer to the city  especially in this environment of skyrocketing interest rate and the market closer to city being so competitive on offers? 

However, in this environment with shrkining inventories, don't expect banks to let the process go on very long. 

People think the current environment is unique.It is but it isn't.Rock bottom interest rates turned every wannabe real estate investor into a real estate "investor".

We ended up purchasing in South Bend, Indiana due to the lower taxes and more business friendly environment in Indiana. 

When it comes to being happy with your living environment where you live is only half as important as the people you live with.  

Hehe...education education education.i'm here, yet to make that first deali read books, listen to podcasts but am yet to attend an actual real estate investing meet up.i have called agents, made offers in an environment without much conventional financingAm exploring private money lenders, syndication with advice from a lawyer and possible wholesalingi need to keep making offers, on a larger scale, as that is the only way to control a property and work on converting contracts to a closings

Undoubtedly the wood is arriving from a super dry warehouse somewhere in SE Calgary, not exactly a climate controlled environment.

The approach of just deducting deferred maintenance costs from offer price is reasonable and a good conservative way to handle it.Unfortunately in this market environment the seller doesn't always agree with this approach :) So you have to look at it a bit property-to-property. 

I'd also have been much more inclined had the instructors made it more of a relaxing environment, maybe do 1-2 free classes, offer some newbies advice/mentorship then try to reel them in for the 20k you're asking for.