Create something unique and useful.

Sant SobhrajIt really depends where in Newark you are buying as that is unique market in its own right.Just a couple points of concern:Expenses are only 25% of gross income.

I'd gladly meet you for lunch and we can explore around from there!

., to get a DECENT feel for what a deal looks like, what one can sell for, and when to pass...Obviously all homes are unique, some require more repairs than others, I understand that much.

What do you think, would it be better for me to explore other ventures?

Your dollar amounts will depend on your overall financial picture; if you have nothing to lose, you can insure exactly as you are now doing.For liability, you also need to worry about the pedestrian passing by and having a slip and fall on your property, plus other scenarios once you begin to explore what your liabilities are here.The need for placing auto with the same carrier usually only comes up when you are talking about an umbrella, since the umbrella policy extends liability coverage over everything.Time for you to talk to several agents and don't forget to talk with independent agents too.

Notes are a unique business, while backed by real estate, they are not real-estate.  

--because it requires actually going out and viewing a lot of different properties in-person, learning to spot opportunities that aren't apparent to other buyers, learning from GCs what is (and isn't) easily do-able, learning from PMs and agents about the local tenant pool and the unique dynamics of the neighborhood, etc., etc.Books, podcasts, youtube videos are incredibly valuable, but there are many aspects of real estate that are best learned through direct experience. 

I have been listening to the podcasts for a while but have just started exploring the website.

You've come to the right place to learn, there is so much good information on this site to explore that just about any and every topic you'd need to know about in the real estate investing world can be found here.