From what I hear, the same issues keep coming up:Tenants complain if halls, stairs, or laundry areas aren’t maintained.Owners don’t always know about damage, leaks, or safety issues until they’ve already become expensive.Doing the cleaning yourself (or relying on tenants) isn’t reliable long term.I’ve been helping some Philly landlords with regular common space cleaning, and one thing they value is that it doubles as basic property oversight.

You’re already ahead of the game by reading the BiggerPockets books and starting to think strategically about your equity and savings.

I’m a rookie investor trying to stay ahead of the game, and I’d really appreciate some guidance from the more experienced members of the community.Right now, I’m seriously considering getting my real estate license.

Total game changer, put my life on a different trajectory. 

Still using a HELOC but putting 5% down to minimize the risk and interest payment - and yes, we also thought about using the tax return to assist to paying back the HELOC.For us, we're not necessarily looking to "break the bank" but to just get in the game and if that means we're to break even in the beginning, we'll take that.  

Hey Mike, always nice to see attorneys who get into the investment game themselves, and great to hear about what you're doing.

Unfortunately the listing agent was playing games and we ended up withdrawing the offer because we no longer felt like we could trust the Seller or the listing agent.

Remember, it's a long game and real estate always wins.

Since you’ve already got experience with land, you’re ahead of the game compared to most new investors.

@Ladarius PayneLove the mindset, LaDarius — coachable, consistent, and committed is exactly how you win in this game.