If you’re investing in or around Sacramento—or just want to connect—feel free to reach out.Looking forward to collaborating and contributing here.— Alex Swindell

I agree with all your points which shrink the margin; the way I see it is even if a deal does break even, we're still adding another property to our portfolio with tenants building up our equity and potentially some cashflow to trickle into that pile.

Find someone in the business and yes, offer to work for them for free to learn, but find a way to add value to their business (without asking them how you add value). 

In the event something like a fridge breaks, this is not good, at all. 

I was once told by a wise old man, before I was a landlord, he said son you not in the business to break records on rental rates but in the business to have the rent collected.

I blame my PM for putting him there but upon arrival he somehow conned the PM for a free month, then proceeded to NEVER PAY A PENNY IN RENT.

How common are these break in's in your area?   

Feel free to reach out with any questions you have.

A solid network on the ground can make or break your experience as a remote owner.Great post, and definitely a valuable checklist for anyone getting started.

Please feel free to e-mail me your questions.