I pulled out every penny and stuck it in the bank.

Quote for aluminum powder coated three story spiral staircase with two landings ran about $15,000.

Selling a property years into the lease can result in pennies on the dollar, especially if there are issues and they will be left to negotiate lease terms with a large fortune 500 company.

But at the other end of the spectrum, I bought biotech penny stocks and held them and sold them.

Prime and paint 3 bedrooms, $450.Remove texture from bedroom ceiling, skim coat, prime and paint, $250.Tear off old roof shingles and load into dump trailer, $600.Install walkway of paver bricks, $350.Pressure wash non-brick parts of exterior, $300.Etc, etc.So, after maybe five months, we had paid her about $11,000, and she went back home.Can/should I file as a "real estate professional"?

We have been looking into some options to utilize the HELOC such as STRs/vacation properties (there is a beach resort near us that sells trailers for in/around 100K which rent out for a pretty penny on a weekly basis during the summer months).

But if they want a fresh coat of paint, they'll work with you.

I don't want to sugar coat it.  

Has anyone purchased an educational program when starting their REI journey? I’m interested in Cole Ruud-Johnson’s wholesaling program but, like all of the others, it’s pricey. He has a good track record, and I’m read...

Now, let's say you own 10 properties that are each cashflow neutral--the incoming rent is exactly the same as the outgoing costs of operation--you don't make or lose a penny on them each month in terms of cashflow.