The earnest money gets paid to the title company.

For STR I only use it to post expenses since Airbnb handles collection and distribution of funds but as I say, that part is cumbersome.

It then tells me my cash flow, monthly expenses.

Don't just assume becaue the rent will be paid that it's OK.

I'm wondering what did other people paid. 

Houston is a little expensive, especially when combined with current rates but there are some BRRRR deals that can work with decent ARVs...just as a quick example, here's a ranked list of properties by BRRRR in Houston - there's a few that potentially make sense but not a huge amount of choice.

Hi all, I am new to Real state investing and Live in the NY/NJ Area. things are super expensive.

I'm curious about the high cable expense and $2,400 in utilities. 

Some work that comes to my mind is:1) Managing tenants to get rent paid2) Diagnosing a repair issue and getting the right team to make the fix3) Fielding messages from prospective tenants on advertised rentals4) This list goes on...I've found a company that automates rent collection and income/expense tracking for free, but I'd like to replace my property management portal altogether and feel I'm only half way there (certainly a tenant facing chat bot would close the gap).

I am aiming for a policy where my cash value surpasses premiums paid as fast as possible without triggering a MEC.