I plan on getting a residency position at a church to start in ministry which will leave me with a good amount of free time to pursue REI but not much capital. 

.- chatgpt or any other LLM is a great starting point for learning your local laws around raising the rent, just make sure to ask for sources and direct quotes (this helps with hallucinations), then verify- what's your long term goal for the property?

Starting at 19 and already thinking about credit, FHA, and house hacking is strong.That said, slow the timeline down in your head a bit.If you’re moving to the U.S. or Europe, your first challenge won’t be BRRRR — it’ll be residency status, stable income, and building credit history in a new country.

What guest communication platform do you utilize?

Quick BackgroundMy spouse and I are 100% disabled veterans in Northern Virginia (close to major employment companies/contractors/tech hubs, Reston Town Center, Metro).We both work in tech, but my spouse will stop working soon(burnout).Goal is early retirement + passive income, not building a huge portfolio, which seems difficult in this HCOLAWe’re not handy, but spouse is considering leaving Tech and going to school full time for carpentry utilizing Post 911 benefitsHave around 150-200k in liquid capital We realize that when one spouse leaves tech, the ability to really pay down a mortgage will be greatly reducedCurrent Property (Owned Free & Clear)Estimated value from Zillow: ~$776,300 (does not include massive kitchen renovation)4 bed / 3 bathEstimated rent: ~$3,500/mo (without renovation included)Scenario 1 (Leaning this way)Use a VA loan to buy a smaller primary residence locally (0% down).

Every week a unit sits empty, it’s not just missing rent—it’s eating up utilities and holding costs.Here are a few tweaks that really helped speed up the process and get properties back on the market fast:Book ahead of time: Try to have your painters and cleaners scheduled before the old tenant even hands over the keys so work starts day one.Standardize your finishes: Use the exact same paint color, flooring, and hardware for every unit.

Every week a unit sits empty, it’s not just missing rent it’s eating up utilities and holding costs.Here are a few tweaks that really helped speed up the process and get properties back on the market fast:Book ahead of time: Try to have your painters and cleaners scheduled before the old tenant even hands over the keys so work starts day one.Standardize your finishes: Use the exact same paint color, flooring, and hardware for every unit.

Any tips on how to get started?

Hello everyone, hope 2026 is off to a good start for you all.

One thing I feel would be my best option is a HELOC to utilize as a down payment.