Loans are built by people who are part of the system, lending to people who are part of the system, enforced by people who are part of the system.Your comment is like saying "I only eat vegetarian, wear coussack pants and I want to work at a high end stake house".

Replacing carpet every year or two will eat into your profit.

Personally, I like to see signs of organic population growth rather than speculative vacation traffic, because when people are moving in for jobs and schools it usually means steady long-term rental demand; on the flip side, I’d be cautious about towns that look attractive just because they’re “near the water,” since insurance costs and flood maps can change quickly, and that can eat into cash flow if you’re not careful.

Only got $5000 down because the property was on the market for 120 days and the Hard Money costs were eating me alive and I tried selling it normally and they were the only ones really interested in the property (it was a good rehab but everyone had an issue with the steep driveway).3.

.- Unexpected repairs or inspection issues that eat into margin.Why it might feel more stressful:- Bigger financial exposure, you’re buying and holding real estate.- Delays can cost you real money.- More moving parts, especially if you're flipping multiple properties at once.Flipping is usually more stressful, but it can be more rewarding financially if everything goes according to plan.

Pay attention to days on market as holding costs can eat you up if you are in a slow moving market. 

Before eating a big loss, test two low-friction paths: try renting your 2/2 at full market with a solid PM and move into a 1/1 or studio lease for 6–12 months, or keep the 2/2 and refinance only if it meaningfully lowers payment.

Not everyone wants to be out in nature all the time, and even if they do, they want to eat at a nice restaurant and enjoy a few cocktails at the end of the day. 

Homestead is one, but they will end up eating into your profits by at least 50%.

It can eat your lunch on its own.