I never, ever, ever, let me stress, ever, had a problem collecting rent.

The home environment has gotten really stressful, so I’m feeling a lot of pressure to move out for my own mental wellbeing.

For value‑add, keep scope light at first, verify market rents, and stress test vacancy, taxes, insurance, and CapEx before you offer.

Your agent’s “10–20k norm” can be fine, but make it numbers-driven: set your max allowable offer off a conservative ARV, stress-test rents and rehab with a contingency, and decide your “walk” number before you write.

The big win here is your cash flow cushion.Once you move out, $1,100/mo between the two doors makes the next deal way less stressful.

I’ve been hearing a lot about turnkey properties — homes that are already renovated, tenant-occupied, and ready to cash flow from day one.On paper, they sound like a stress-free way to get started (especially if you’re not local), but I’ve also read mixed opinions about whether they really perform as advertised once you factor in management fees, maintenance, and long-term expenses.For those who’ve bought turnkey rentals:Did the numbers hold up after your first year or two?

Coordinate with the cable company as we do a 25% partial-stress of the cables within 24-48 hours.

There’s less stress.

For a renovated Pilsen 3-flat, somewhere $10–13K.Also check rent comps for new construction Woodlawn: if more buildings deliver, you may be competing through concessions or slower lease-ups.If it were me and I wanted a smoother first few years, I’d choose Pilsen unless the Woodlawn building is truly special or priced with enough cushion.Happy to run the numbers with you if you want to stress-test both deals, Chicago is all about underwriting the next tax bill, not the current one.

This situation is stressing me out a good bit.