There's so many things that can change the dynamics and attitudes like partners dying, getting married, getting divorced, having kids getting addicted to drugs/gambling/porn/anything, not pulling their weight, wanting to sell, stealing money, getting cancelled form some social media post, and the list goes on.

Columbus is a fantastic market for long‑term rentals, but here are a few things to keep on your radar as an out‑of‑state investor:Local property management is mission‑critical.Vet at least two or three companies—you’ll want a PM that excels at tenant screening, handles Ohio’s ~45‑day eviction timeline, and understands local repair codes.Budget for 8–10% of gross rent on cap‑ex and maintenance; older homes here often hide deferred repairs (think lead paint, knob‑and‑tube wiring).Know your neighborhoods and comps.Focus on Franklinton, Whitehall, and Linden—where yields tend to be higher but rehabs can be more involved.Double checking on the ARV is crucial before pulling the trigger on a BRRRR deal.I work with many out‑of‑state investors and own several units outside of Columbus, so I know what it takes to manage from afar and would be happy to share my playbook on financing, contractor referrals, and PM pitfalls—lets connect!

I'm sure Einstein could have spent his later years tubing and riding mountain bikes but instead he spent a lot of his time and effort trying to prevent nuclear holocaust and still researching all the way up to the end.

I don't like aluminum wiring or knob & tube. 

However, it could cost you thousands of dollars for info that you can obtain here on BP and You Tube.

Either way sales is dog tough and the vast majority of folks out there watching these u tubes and getting excited simply do not have the chops to do sales its not in their DNA or personality  or family situation.Our Daughter in Vegas who has been selling RE for 9 years now is doing very very well..

If saving the world several times over, keeping the current bad guys at bay, building and re-building multiple countries, showering much of the world with our financial largesse (all while being disrespected and treated like general crap BTW) is not enough, then I am in the group that says F 'em.Let China take over that role and go bankrupt doing it, it'll be fun watching them go down the tubes.....  

Hi Steve from El Centro, CA-Congratulations on your wife and yourself being interested in small to medium sized multifamily outside of California.You are trying to educate yourself and asked about what to read and You Tube channels to follow.I like Multi-Family Millions by David Lindahl and Ken McElroy and Peter with Commercial Property Advisors on You Tube.To keep things real simple, I would find a commercial broker that has a teacher's heart that can help you evaluate deals and model out what you would like to do before and after you purchase to increase value.Then, if the commercial broker is any good, they will have referrals to all the other team members you need but a big one is the property manager and you want them involved helping you evaluate deals before you buy and planning with you how to increase value.After that, you want an excellent attorney, lender, insurance agent, and property inspector.There are some great opportunities here in Michigan if that is a market that interests you.To Your Success!

They do draw a hard line with cloth wiring, even if it is in good condition and not knob n' tube. 

Getting a home inspection should also help you see if there are problems with the major building systems.Homes built before the 1950s, especially those with balloon framing, knob-and-tube wiring, or galvanized plumbing, often require full guts.