I know it will take longer to actually find a good tenant that loves the property and that I get good vibes from that meets the criteria.

You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!

I’m trying to figure out how realistic this idea is before I start talking to lenders — hoping some of you who’ve been through this can help me sanity-check it.Here’s my current situation:The PropertyLocated in California’s Central ValleyBought a few years ago from my dad for $30K (clear title)Current estimated value: around $293,500 (Zillow)Rents: $1,000 (front) + $800 (back) = $1,800/moNo mortgage, completely paid off ✅It’s been a basic rental that covers itself and stays occupied.Now that it’s appreciated quite a bit, I’m wondering if I can use it to fund my next step in real estate.What I’ve Gathered So FarI was laid off a while ago, so I don’t have W-2 income anymore — but I do have savings in the bank and this property free and clear.While researching options, I came across DSCR or “no-income verification” loans, where the lender qualifies the loan based mostly on the property’s rent and value instead of personal income.If I pulled out around $200K (roughly 70% of what the home’s worth), the monthly payment for principal and interest might fall in the $1,400–$1,500 range.Once I add property taxes and insurance, the total monthly cost would probably be close to $1,700.Since the property currently rents for about $1,800 a month total, it would basically break even or maybe make a small positive.That seems to qualify under the DSCR rules I’ve read about, but I’m not sure if that’s too thin to be worth the risk — especially with rates where they are right now.If this type of loan actually works the way I think it does, it could free up roughly $200K in cash that I could use as down payments or rehab funds to buy additional rentals.I just don’t know if that’s a smart move, or if I’m misunderstanding how flexible these loans really are.What I’m Trying to Figure OutDoes this make sense in today’s market, or would you hold the equity and wait for rates to drop?

Just one example of newbies being clueless about reality.

The numbers look good, but in reality, they typically do not end up providing the returns you anticipated and end up being a money pit there is not enough gross income to account for realisitic cap ex and operating expenses.. unless you own 10 or more.. 

And as Crystal said, sometimes they are actually flipped or bought by BRRRR investors.

But what AI cannot do is hold an actual conversation.

They are a large company that has buying power and a network of contractors realtors and others to do the work. the owner, Zach also here on BiggerPockets and has a stellar reputation for customer serviceFor cons - people will view some companies in a negative light because of this, but the reality is the individual who is thinking negatively is typically inexperienced and doesn't understand the businessbut....this is a reality as someone who has been in this space for almost 30 years.Contractors realtors, and others one day could be an A player and do great work.

They find a "deal" aka a lead, they then sell that "deal" aka lead, to an actual Investor who's actually investing. 

Like Dale said, hang in there until you find a system that actually works, whether that’s a hybrid approach or fully managing it yourself.