I would want to see average household incomes north of $75k/yr to support that rental level and leave people space to eat.d) my perception of a small, cheaply built house in a marginal area is you won't see much appreciation, using you $200k new construction example. 

Hey Joe,Congrats on leveling up — going from SFHs to an 8-unit is a big step, and your questions are the right ones to be asking.

Looking forward to meeting and connecting with any level of potential assistance in my projects going forward. 

Is $60K + $10K per deal reasonable for an entry-level hire in this kind of setup?

Have a lender who also educated you through the process and a real estate agent who knows the area you've already done your own research on as well.Know the passive activity rules: Early losses may be limited depending on your overall income and activity level.

I can see how keeping detailed records from day one is key, especially with the BRRRR approach where there’s a lot of movement between rehab, refinance, and rental.I’ll definitely look deeper into REPS, the STR loophole, and active participation rules — I’ve heard them mentioned before, but never really understood how they fit into long-term tax planning.

At a high level, 5+ units is no different than a single family. 

You’ve got options, just make sure the math supports the move.Happy to help if you want to dig deeper.

The key is aligning your strategy, capital, and comfort level with the right location.In my market in Reno Tahoe there are better deals in the SFH market than the small MF because of the short supply and sellers' overvaluation of multifamily.

However, there's a variety of ways to boost cash flow/get better deals. 1. buy deeper and do value adds.