So for less than $5k out of pocket we just eliminated a $3,500 per year oil bill and added that directly into our yearly cashflow.

Greetings all,I recently graduated (in my 20s) and moved into the area for work.

When I got into real estate investing years ago, I was told it would be mostly passive.

I get it everybody has to make a buck , but I didnt hire the buyers agent , what ever they want to charge THEIR customer is fine with me , but I wasnt paying it .  2.5% sounds like a low number until you put it into real numbers on a $800k sale and you see it as  $20,000 . 

You buy a primary home then transition it into a rental home either right away or as little as 12 months.You have DPA programs that cover the entire US and state specific DPA's (down payment assistance).

I have seen some lenders get all the way into underwriting and deny the loan due to the "risk" of the collateral versus total vested interest.

I'll keep just enough cash in my brick and mortar banks to make two months expenses and put all the rest into the online accounts with high interest savings.

Purchase price: $235,900 Cash invested: $70,000 Sale price: $399,000 Complete Renovation: deleting walls to open up kitchen into living room, new kitchen, cabinets, appliances, custom doors, floors, trim, paint, new laundry room, new powder room, new master bathroom, custom woodworking, exterior farmhouse paint, all new interior paint, etc.

I got into REI from there, but I still do both. 

Look into that route as well.