They build in extra padding, so the unexpected does not derail the entire project.When creating your budget, make a room-by-room outline of work needed and estimated costs.

These Realtors have earned the designation from The National Association of Realtors and specialize in representing international buyers purchasing in the US. realtor dot com has a filter to find these agents.

Account Closed I was actually told by my CoStar rep a few days ago that you can list property on CoStar at no additional charge, but the only extra charges are if you want to list it on LoopNet.

So very helpful :)Yeah the idea sounded weird at first, but it may work well for me (aside from my broker making extra commissions for his good idea).

Good questions to start with @Kyle Jey - this gets my wheels spinning.I will self-manage and I live very close.Landscaping, snow - these are not factored in besides the maintenance percentage (5%) I listed in my post.I have no idea if the place needs rehab; all units are currently occupied and there are no images of the inside.Closing costs - hadn't thought about this; would attempt to roll into the mortgage payments - maybe $100/month extra?

I was hoping you all could help me navigate these two extremely different pieces of advice.My short term goal is to be able to make enough off of rental properties to have a passive salary while I earn my Ph.D.

.- Key FOB and extra security are always huge.

rehabbed the trashed studio into a 1 bedroom, made repairs to broken exterior staircases, coin operated laundry room, and fixing up the garage for extra income.

If you keep your day job or can start earning conventional real estate commission income and do the work yourself on nights and weekends, this is a great opportunity to build for the future. 

Replacement cost is going to me more expensive but is worth the extra expense.