Because of this, I fear I have missed some key steps. 

The numbers we’re seeing: Turnkey duplex~6% cash-on-cashStable rental areaMostly banking on long-term appreciation + buying localSelf-managing  My goals: Learn operations/management hands-onIntroduce tech and systems (property management software, digital leases, automated rent collection, better bookkeeping, etc.)Eventually scale into our own LLC and grow the portfolio  Since this is my first real step into investing, I’d love some feedback from those who’ve been through something similar: Does this seem like a smart way to get started?

Hello everyone,I recently closed on property #1 a couple months ago - a duplex in a small city that I'm house hacking, and I want some thoughts/critiques on my plan for next steps. 

Congrats on your first steps into rental property investing!

Looking to use hard money loans to purchase properties,  using the fix and  flip method for the 1st few properties to build cash reserves. 

Just make sure each step is backed by clear data and a solid plan.Hope that helps and wishing you a quick lease-up.

Thank you — and you nailed the exact philosophy behind it.I’ve actually turned this entire lender-grade underwriting framework into a clean, step-by-step analysis system specifically for 2–4 unit deals so investors can run their own properties through the same assumptions without guesswork.It shows:• true DSCR (bank standard)• real cash flow after reserves• and your actual maximum safe offer — not just “what looks good”I’m sharing it here for anyone who wants to stress-test their next deal properly:vincenzo45.gumroad.com/l/bktvrIt’s been a game-changer for how I screen deals. 

They’ll push others to their max, let ego and adrenaline do the damage, then step in only if the numbers still make sense.

For me personally, step 1 house hacking by a house and rent out rooms and save up some money.  2) Once you have the downpayment buy a second house and hack it until you are comfortable for the move that is right for you. 

The challenging part with New York is that most buildings in the areas I want to live in are older so while I would be house hacking, I worry there will be more maintenance issues along with the higher fees / taxes / etc that make me hesitant to do this method.