You’re asking the right questions and setting realistic targets, which already puts you ahead of most people looking out of state.With ~$90k allocated to down payment, closing, and reserves, the bigger variable usually isn’t where — it’s how conservatively the deal is underwritten and whether the debt structure leaves margin after a stress test.In practice, I’ve seen investors hit your $200–$400/door goal more consistently by prioritizing:• boring demand drivers (jobs, population stability),• simple assets that underwrite cleanly, and• financing that doesn’t rely on rent growth assumptions to work.Curious whether you’re leaning more toward small multifamily or SFRs 

Forcing a deal because inventory feels tight usually creates more stress than patience does.

I haven’t personally built full underwriting models or written IC memos end-to-end, but I’ve spent years reviewing them, stress-testing assumptions, providing feedback, and helping determine whether deals were good or bad investments.What I haven’t done is originate and execute a deal entirely on my own as a principal.Specifically, I haven’t personally:Sourced deals directly from brokers as a buyer under my own entityRun a full acquisition process independentlySet up banking, accounting, and reporting systems from scratchSelected and onboarded property managers and construction teams independentlyBuilt investor systems and reporting infrastructure from zeroPut legal documents in place for a new investment platformFully controlled the capital raise, including locking in commitments ahead of bidding with confidenceConceptually, I understand how all of this works, but it still feels theoretical because I haven’t personally owned every step.

On underwriting, a few things I wish more first-time buyers focused on: assume conservative rents, not “top of market,” and stress test the deal with one unit vacant or underperforming.

That sounds incredibly frustrating and stressful. 

It sounds like that has taken its toll and it may be time to hire a PM who will give you the relief of not dealing with the stress of coordinating maintenance. 

Modify the bathrooms to meet requirements and decrease liability.I would consider that application but the lease agreement has to be spot on and the deposit substantially larger.

Hi everyone, I’m Rosa Watson, a property management professional focused on helping investors protect their assets, maximize cash flow, and remove the day-to-day stress of being a landlord.I work primarily with rental property owners and real estate investors who want their properties treated like true businesses, not just “units on a spreadsheet.”

In real estate finance and note investing, stress-testing generally refers to evaluating how a potential investment would perform under adverse conditions rather than only under optimistic assumptions.

Increasing your limit will in turn improve your utilization assuming you aren't spending more I usually apply for a new card every 6 months or so - sure you take a hard inquiry (falls off after 2 years, if I remember right) but the increase in credit limit and automatic decrease in utilization actually results in an improvement in my credit score