It has done one thing though: it's revealed the soft bigotry of many members here who think we need their help because our race makes us less capable.I'm thankful to those here that I've interacted with on the forum and in person who treated me the same way they treat any other real estate investor and enthusiast.

After staring down a gun-wielding ex-Marine male chauvinist tenant who was playing games with rent payment dates as my first tenant ever, I realized that his misogyny was his problem, not mine and actually used that to my advantage.

The profits look good until you have to pull a gun out of your truck to keep two guys from stomping a tranny hooker to death in your front yard (true story). 

They were polite and very enthusiastic. 

@Derrick Burtle  Stick to your guns and work the numbers as they work for you. 

My wife and I both work in Manhattan so we can't go too far from the city, which limits the available multi-family homes that aren't getting bought up at close-to-market costs by the 'big guns'. 

I'm still a little gun shy about it, but I'm glad that things are better for you and it does help to encourage me to continue considering it.

That's coming to a gun-fight with a spork.... 

I guess if your some shot gun no money wanna be wholesaler that's good advice but for folks that actually transact  business its backwards.

I plan to refi the property after a 12 month seasoning period and put the money back into the HELOCI, essentially re-loading my gun to go hunting again.