I have been in property management for 20 years, almost 3 years ago I moved to Birmingham AL to start my investment journey.

Separately, the benefits and disadvantages of renting to Section 8 is a topic of extended debate on this forum.

We had a unit that was ready for open house this mid November that took 4 open houses to get a tenant moving in Christmas day (i know strange move in day, chose by the tenant).  

I'm a Navy public affairs officer, so I move every couple years, but I'm currently in Germantown, TN (near Memphis), and I've been interested in RE my entire life.

@Gil CanfuBased on my experience working with over 400 investors, investing in a single-family home in Dallas with a $300K budget is a smart move due to the area's strong rental demand and appreciation potential.

This would be our first full rehab and first time using creative financing so I want to make sure I'm underwriting it correctly before we make any moves!

Off-Market: I was working for a storage facility and the owner needed help removing his stuff because he was moving How did you finance this deal?

It has to be the worst market in the country.That being said…Can you sell your current primary for a decent price and move in to this property?

Looking to find duplex or something along those lines to reside in and then eventually move upward.

Covering the mortgage isn’t an issue, but I’m considering factors like: Multi-Family: House hacking would help offset costs right away, but I’d likely need to put money into renovations upfront.Single-Family: Easier move-in with no immediate renovations needed, plus potentially lower tenant turnover once I rent it out For those who have been in a similar situation, what did you choose and why?