If you have less than a month or no vacancy then you made more income that year.In the future it would help us provide better critics if you would include additional information in your posts. 

You might be able to get a couple or a few loans, then you are tapped out.Having the refinance piece is critical.

I simply cannot see how anyone can embark on a career of buying and selling real estate and not think a license would be a benefit for all the reasons you addressed.I have not sold as a transactional broker in probably 20 years or so.. but its critical to have those tools and when a project does not go very well.. and some don't you need to be your own listing agent a lot of time that is the difference betweenprofit loss or major loss..etc etc.. 

However, I'm realizing this is much more education and critical thinking in order to build the foundation first.

Rentometer.com is critical because along with the above websites I get a sense of the rental estimates of a neighborhood.

And just who the hell are you to criticize my maintenance and how frequently I do it, LET ALONE how frequently I pay my damned bills?

When I meet with people I suggest they review their current situation with the same business-sense critical eye.

If have 2-3 for critical skills, like plumbing and electrical. 

This market with prices where they are, and some uncertainty of what the next several years look like, its critical that you are spot on when underwriting/analyzing your investment.

The two critical points are in the purchase and the screening.