Here is what I see that has worked for myself and investor clients; A disciplined spreadsheet system is still very effective for small landlords.

I've become increasingly selective with who I engage with offline through BiggerPockets.

Once you do pull the trigger, do your due diligence when selecting a tenant.

@Will StewartOnce you get to a 5 unit or more property, all loans are effectively DSCR. 

Cash Flow–Oriented Areas (More Working-Class, Higher Yield)If your priority is cash flow and reasonable entry prices:Baltimore (select neighborhoods)Still one of the strongest cash-flow markets in the state if you stay disciplined.

In ten years, it will be worth the same as $748 today.The takeaway is that no matter how many properties you own in a city where rents do not outpace inflation, sooner or later you will be forced to get a job to supplement your declining rental income buying power.How do you select the city?

., as everyone has selective memory.

Depending on your income level that could be worth another $3-4K in actual tax savings, which effectively lowers your monthly cost further.Where I think house hacking gets undersold is people compare it to renting on a monthly cash flow basis and stop there.

Diversify your support systems: multiple maintenance vendors, backup property management software, on-site and off-site teams, and emergency cash reserves.This limits the "single point of failure" effect that creates exponential problems when stress hits.5.

When speed is critical, the biggest mistake is treating funding as a rate decision instead of a structuring decision.The most effective approach I see is lining up capital that’s already comfortable with the asset type and risk profile, rather than forcing a deal through a lender’s approval process mid-transaction.In practice, that usually means:Pre-aligned capital for acquisitions or bridge scenariosClear understanding of what diligence can be deferred vs. what cannotStructuring around certainty of execution, not just pricingDeals that move fastest are usually the ones where the exit and takeout path were thought through before the LOI was signed, not after.