I received a graduate degree in education, then left the classroom to go into real estate, became an investor and the rest, to coin a cliche, is history.

@Bob Bowling 370K ARV  -- needs 20K to get there (roughly)Grandma will be renting for the rest of her days after the sale - small apartment where she doesn't have to worry about lawn mowing or snow removal here in Massachusetts .

I know it's foolish to think that it can't but we have had steady population (+/- 1% per year for decades) and are rarely affected by the market swings that seem to drive the rest of the country crazy.

I have it separate from the rest of the application.

Thanks, @Stephen Barton -- that really means a lot to me and the rest of the team!

I too am a Tulsa native however my investment approach appears to be slightly different than the rest of the posters here.  

Do I put 20% down on a home and invest the rest?

I can tell you if they are FHA, conventional, or owner financing dominant areas, if they're slow, if they're hot, if these two blocks suck compared to the rest of the area, if an oversized house will sell for the average square foot price(sometimes they will), what it will rent for, if you need a single garage or a 2 car or even a driveway, will you need central heat and air, if most of the houses are brick or brick veneer or siding, 1 bath or 2, rear access to the house, if a tenant will need a gun and a knife to fit in or a beamer and a rolex, if you will need to speak Spanish to buy stuff at the convenient store or Vietnamese, Ebonics, Hick, or absolute proper English.

Wait until she is rested and then start to look for a deal so good she will only need to organize contractors or per hour workers.

I can buy a 2-4 unit for myself to live in one unit and rent out the rest in San Diego County.