My goals are to build a supplemental retirement income for my husband and I (we are a little bit behind) and to build an income producing career for myself so that my husband can pursue an alternative career and leave his $140000 yr job without much of a change in living standards.

@Mike Flora  also this is one reason I think getting a RE license and working for a top producing agent so you can learn these techniques is the fast track to success and builds a lasting career I know it did for me.

@Chelsie Runnings,@Brian BurkeAs a building contractor, I am curious to know if there are any upcoming events in the area (Meetup etc.) to connect with local owners who are looking to rebuild their homes lost in the fires..

It is really just for bikes and what not, there are 3 spots in the driveway so a car parked in there would likely be blocked in.We have two units with space to accommodate washers and dryers, so we are considering adding these amenities to them and then charging a bit more for those units.  2 out of 3 of our houses have laundry in the basement (shared by all tenants) and we might also add laundry to the 3rd house.I always let my tenants know about upcoming vacancies in case they want to move to a larger or smaller unit, or in case they have friends who need a place.  

So i guess i would suggest if your feeling burnt out again, maybe find motivation in the things you would do if your real estate career was already booming.

If they are spec homes you may be in the 10-20% after all costs are in (probably closer to 10%)I thought about doing this early on in my career (I work in construction management) and unless I was doing $1M in revenue it was not worth the risk.

Your professional reputation is crucial to a long and successful career in real estate.

For instance, I have a tenant in my property now who I did no credit or background check on, and they gave me no security deposit. almost everyone one the forum would say this is an absolute DEAL KILLER, and I would always agree with them....yet I did it, and I doubt I'll ever get a better tenant in my career (seriously, they are a dream).

For additional info, the crime maps show that there was a murder right across the street in May…So all that aside, here are the #s:Asking Price: $110,000 (dropped from $125K)Offering Price: $90K (based on lack of garage, seller’s expediency, past murder, vacancies and upcoming winter, as well as what I can afford to pay per month)Rent: $950 (once rented); Annual = $10,830 (5% vacancy)Operating Expenses:Water/Garbage - $1380Gas - $106 (altogether; split between two units)Electric (separate meters)Insurance - $1500Property Tax - $1,666Repairs (if needed) - $1600=$6252NOI:=$1998 AnnuallyDebt Service:$7104Cash Flow:-$5106 or -$425.50 a monthAs owner-occupant:$592 – MORTGAGEUtilities – $375$6 + $150 + $139 + $86 + $50 (electric; estimated)$1017 a month…doesn’t include repairsPROPERTY #2The second property is different.

That is the only time in my career that I've used ratios.To provide some additional examples which may provide insight into why this is a questionable practice in my opinion:- I recently purchased a $300 kitchen faucet for less than $100 (it was the last remaining one on the shelf and so was on clearance (the model, although a top rated product in this price point had been discontinued by the manufacturer - although more likely just the model "number" was discontinued, but that's another topic altogether).