Frankly, I'm sure you do a good job in the space where you work.

Nice job!  

With a budget of $300K-$400K, you could potentially find single-family homes or small multi-units in those areas.I'd recommend researching rental demand near universities like Duke or NC State or even checking out neighborhoods with strong job growth near tech hubs.

But day trading is a job at best and a nightmare at worst. 

@Aaron Raffaelli what did you do before this job?

I’ve seen that in my W-2 job, so it makes sense that the same value is applicable in real estate.

@Chloe Salcedo investing in real estate is not a full-time job.

Oregon coast crashed hard in the GFC   the Covid has it coming back FINALLY  but bottom line is very little industry and jobs.. since logging and fishing has curtailed .. so its retirement and tourism. 

During this time, I found myself unemployed and having difficulty finding a new job due to not completing my degree or having formal training beyond high school or military.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.