Hi @Nikki Beall,For us, it was a matter of getting to the point where we understood the basic fundamentals of investing (from books, podcasts, etc) and had realistic expectations of what we were getting into (the good, the bad, the ugly). 

In LA sheriff sales parking lots are basically rolls Royce dealerships.

The Property is basically break even cash flow after PITI, reserves, etc.

Basically, banks determine what the lowest rate they are able to offer without points.

I analyze all my big "fun" purchases as much as my business ones. my mindset is always...can I sell this for the same or more later regardless. the cash to buy the lambo wasn't refi money, however more of my personal spend money was taken to fulfill the purchase than to other personal areas like vacations, eating out, etc. and my daily is a workhorse civic too ;)most of my rentals were bought using cashout refis from previous purchases so I understand if worse comes to worse and I sell at a 20-25% discount, I would basically be netting 0 in terms of buying/selling. however I would have gained all the cashflow over the couple years. again, this would be a worst case scenario.

It's basic goal on this type is raising money from others that we w  Showing them your evaluation that shows them their potential return and to help you plus a chance at a higher return on their money  I hope some of this helps you.  

Basically what @Elenis C. said...except that I use Redfin which I find works well for South Jersey. 

Basically, after paying agent commissions and other miscellaneous cost (roughly 8%), along with paying of the mortgage balance, I would pocket close to $350k, tax free.Stick to the rental long term with a great cash flow of $750/month and take advantage of all the tax deductions and depreciation, while the renters are paying off my rental slowly.Please note, I don't need money at the moment and don't have any other investment vehicles that will generate a guaranteed 8-10% growth to my investment. 

Basically you aren't selling to family.

Saving that much is no small task.