I have a partner and we have turned our attention to mobile home parks and self storage. 

With that being said, it would be a great idea to go through the medical exam for $500K-$1M or more of term life insurance.

I think too many people focus on "national" trends they hear about in the news and don't pay enough attention to local trends.

Pay close attention to Real Estate Tax as you run your numbers on property opportunity. 

I personally don't think anyone pays attention to the designations other than the organizations offering them. 

You should have to go through a real doctor who actually sees you and knows your medical history not some shady doctor online who just wants to make a few extra bucks with a fake certificate.

It takes full-time attention to manage & maintain these types of properties for the numbers that will work. 

Most of the houses in Providence are 100+ years old and do require attention to keep in good condition.If you plan to manage from NY I would suggest getting professional management unless you confident your son would be able to handle the management alongside his studies. 

Rates are super low right now, and you can get into a property for as little as 3% down, sometimes less if you play your cards right.If you can find a duplex, triplex of 4-plex, all the better.I'd check out CFRI & GOREIA as well, both are local meetups that have been around for a while.Listen to the podcasts - immerse yourself in knowledge and pay attention to which aspects of REI interest you the most.

Really, they don’t have the incentive or resources to give yours the attention it needs to get the bookings.