For example... if I were to increase the rent 1000 per year and decrease expenses 1000 per year... how many months or years would I be required to maintain this before being able to sell a property for an additional 20K in a 10% cap market?

As your portfolio grows, your risk will diminish because the chance of an anomaly (like a 100% vacancy rate) affecting you greatly decreases.

I envision these to be small groups that would meet outside of REIA for the purpose of holding each other accountable for goals; offering specific suggestions to improve the members business, etc.As Rehab observed, the membership in Ohio is also decreasing.

But I would see a bigger cause of decreased RV sales coming from the down RE market in much of the nation.

I get motivated when I see muscle men at the Gym or couple of my friends when I meet them.

Property #1Purchase Price $149,500 (Nov 2004)PITI - $1725 (includes $350 for HELOC, $250 for escrow shortage pymt (12months left), $125 Association Dues)Rent Received: $1195Net - -$530 (ouchhhh)And this does not even take operating expenses into acct (double ouuchhhh)...and a very high vacancy rate in Property #1...Positives: This areas has NOT seen a decrease in prices at all.

However, as Jason also stated, there are many factors which can decrease OE.Capital expenses are capital expenses, not OE.

If rents increase and expenses decrease, you could have an improvement in cash flow.

msedwick: Values have dropped 5-10% or so in the last year according to my tax records, but in terms of sales, things are pretty much flat - no increase or decrease.

Chris, You will need to work on flexing your "risk" muscle and get used to having multiple mortgages.