Hey Jamison, if it were me right now I’d lean toward a cash-flowing property in a market that produces strong monthly income, especially if you’re looking for stability and steady returns early on, because cash flow gives you flexibility and a buffer while you build your portfolio; a market like Columbus, Ohio is a perfect example—since I moved from Portland, Oregon in 2020 and now own 10+ rentals here, I’ve seen firsthand how you can still find properties in the $120K–180K range that hit the 1% rule, cash flow from day one, and still have amazing appreciation potential thanks to the massive population growth, job growth, and major companies like Intel, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Honda, and LG moving in and developing here, so you’re not just getting monthly income but long-term equity upside too, making it a solid mix of security and growth for a strategy focused on building wealth over time.

Cash flow should be treated as an operational buffer.  

Check local market trends like vacancy rates and neighborhood quality, and always factor in some buffer for repairs or unexpected costs. 

DSCR Buffer TargetLenders may approve at 1.00–1.15, but many investors now target:1.25+ day one1.15+ under stressed assumptionsIf you can’t clear that, you’re buying optionality risk.4.

If you are worried about turn over, just think that paying $600 a month for a year equals paying $1200 for 6 months - you have a large buffer even if she move out.

I guess I need to run and rerun my deal goals, include a little buffer knowing I'll probably get another surprise, and then just act accordingly. 

When to use a HELOC or cash-out refiUse equity after you prove to yourself that you can operate rentals well.A HELOC should be used as:A bridge tool, not long-term capitalA way to avoid being cash-poor during rehabA buffer for emergenciesOnce you’ve done 1–2 deals and feel comfortable underwriting and managing risk, then you can use HELOC funds to accelerate.But leveraging heavily too early is how good investors become stressed investors.If I were in your shoes, here’s the exact sequence I’d follow:Use the $100K to buy a simple, cash-flowing out-of-state rental or light BRRRR.Get that first property stabilized.Evaluate your comfort level and skill after 6–12 months.Then consider a small HELOC to scale into your second and third properties.This path lets you grow safely, gain real experience, and protect the home that gives you the strongest financial foundation.

Cash flow should be viewed more as a safety buffer to sustain the property properly, not as an instant path to financial independence.Can real estate accelerate your retirement timeline?

A vacant, 1950s-era, multi-building gut rehab is closer to a development deal than a traditional value-add.In situations like this, I have found it helpful to work backward from stabilized value and then explicitly account for three things before arriving at a purchase price: total hard and soft costs, a realistic contingency, and a clear profit buffer for time, coordination, and risk.

It will cost something, but this is your buffer for when the scope inevitably creeps higher than projected.