Any time rates rise sharply or home prices outpace wages, the idea returns — but it has never truly caught on here due to regulatory concerns, high long-term risk, and the slow pace of equity growth. 

I would never go cash flow negative, risk is too high...

And you’re right, different investors handle leverage differently depending on their strategy and market.What I shared earlier was just based on what I’m actually seeing play out here in the Triad (Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point).

I would highly recommend buying an STR that experiences high losses without accelerated depreciation.i think the plan can work, but it likely requires combining strategies. 

Seller agreed to contract price near the high end of comps but with amazing terms. 1 unit leased till 3/26.

Bruce I think it depends on what level your at and price points.. with high price properties 3% list side can be 20 to 50k and its nice having that in your pocket to further negotiations I am used it to my benefit for decades now and I have not sold retail RE in probably 20 years .

(Many people add an ADU for the high return on money spent only to find out their $400k ADU only added $250k in value to the property.

I regularly touch up with a brush every 3 months, especially on high-traffic areas like the stairs and baseboards.

Investing is not like most businesses where more revenue seems to always be the goal; sometimes it’s better to hold cash when deals are scarce and prices too high and risk adjusted ROI too low.   

Christopher, good question, both tools have their place, but they shine in different areas depending on what you need next.PropStream is usually the better all-around option if you want:• Stronger nationwide data• Better comping tools• Easier pulling of niche lists (pre-foreclosure, tired landlords, high equity, etc.)• MLS-adjacent data without needing full MLS access• Consistent skip-tracing qualityIf your bottleneck is finding more quality leads and building better lists, PropStream is the step up.Xleads tends to be more marketing-oriented:• Pre-built motivated seller lists• Quicker outreach integrations• Simpler interface if you just want plug-and-play listsBut the data quality isn’t as deep as PropStream, and comping is limited.If your goal is “the next level,” PropStream gives you more control and better data to scale volume.Pair it with consistent skip tracing and follow-up, and that’s usually where wholesalers see the jump.