I started looking at investing in real estate as I saved some cash for the last few years.

Lastly, the properties I buy, because I am not a big investor or a big fund, are usually outside of a metropolitan area. 

I've been a Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator/Mortgage Broker/Loan Officer (whatever your preferred term) for the last 15 years.

My borrower also owns an apartment complex financed with a bank loan and bought within the last year with other investors.

When the tenant moves out you will have a minimum of 1 month if not two months where you receive no rental income, you have to pay the mortgage payments and then you get to spend more money on make ready repairs, if the security deposit was low you will have more out of pocket so the income earned over the last 12 months has disappeared and then some.

Are the last 4 units going to rent for $1k/month?

Climate change was also a major contributor to the severity of the Louisiana floods last summer. 

You should know what all of the houses that have sold in the last year around that house have sold for.

@Ramon Olmos, 550,000 exchanges in 2005, 100,000 exchanges in 2008.  2/3rds of realtors turned over in the last 10 years.  

I know real estate is a revered profession, but I've gone through 6 agents and the last one filed the wrong paperwork and I lost out a great deal.