MBBS Basic Science Study Guide and Tips : Daily Study Plan Read more MBBS Basic Science Study Guide and Tips

 MBBS Basic Science Study Guide and Tips : Daily Study Plan

 Since the subjects and the subject matter studied in MBBS is entirely different from the intermediate level. Students at the beginning may feel difficulty studying as the topics and terminologies are completely new to them. But as you go on and with keen interest, it will eventually be interesting and fun to learn. Consulting the seniors will have very valuable role. Through out the 1st 2 years of MBBS you should follow these guidelines and tips.

Attend classes regularly: Missing the classes means missing several important points, experiences and tips that teachers share in their lectures. They are seldom found in any books. Moreover, one who misses the class will not be well acquainted with the topic and probable questions that may be asked.

Know the lesson plan: Go through the topic beforehand to have a rough idea. This will help you to pick up what the teacher is mentioning in his lectures easily. You can do this only when you know the lesson plan.

Be keen to learn: You must have a keen interest to go through a medical dictionary whenever you find a new medical terminology. This will help you a lot in understanding different topics.

Regular studies: Study regularly 4-6 hours a day even when there are no exams arriving. In this time, you should concentrate in making notes, highlighting important texts in book, creating mnemonics and every other things that can be done to make studying easier for future. You can take a break on a friday or saturday night but utilize the morning for studies as brain has higher ability to catch things then.

Increase your study speed and writing speed.

Revise frequently: First time when you read a topic, it may take you an hour. The second reading may take you 45 minutes and you’ll notice that the third reading won’t take you more than half an hour.

Discuss subject matter and questions with your friends and recall.

Make a habit of making notes and charts of important units, standard values and formulas and stick it in front of your study table or wall of your room.

Free yourself from stress between your classes and study time by listening to music, playing games or going out.

Choose your study time according to your control over sleep. Are you an owl or a early bird? In MBBS life, it doesn’t matter till you can study. I couldn’t wake up timely in the morning so I used to sleep late at night.

Besides textbook, studying from reference books helps a lot. Make a habit of comparing things while studying. Example: Differences are easier to remember

Study plan according to the subject:

1. Start with anatomy to know about normal human structures.
2. Then physiology to understand body mechanisms and adaptations.
3. Then pathology to know about the diseases.
4. Then go for pharmacology for the treatment of the diseases.
5. Then microbiology and biochemistry should also go hand in hand.

Anatomy Study Tips:

• Refer Atlas
• Create Mnemonics
• Practice figures
• Creating algorithms
• Studying organ models and bones
• Frequent revision

Physiology Study Tips:

• Read, understand and understand

Pathology Study Tips:

• Follow standard textbook like Robbins and create short notes.
• “Illustrated Pathology” and “Harshmohan” can help you in drawing gross and microscopic features.

Pharmacology Study Tips:

• Mug up the classification of drugs
• Understand the mechanism of actions
• Create mnemonics
• Practice reasoning questions

Microbiology Study Tips:

• Create a pattern for writing lab diagnosis (eg. Specimen, Microscopy, Culture, Antibiotic sensitivity, etc)
• Understand classes of organisms
• Learn lab procedures

Biochemistry Study Tips:

• Practice diagrams of metabolism and cycles
• Create mnemonics

At the same time, don’t feel ashamed of going through guides and past questions ans they are equally important from exam point of view (passing the examinations). If you have any more study tips please comment and feel free to share your experiences.

Read more MBBS Basic Science Study Guide and Tips : Daily Study Plan | Medchrome 

University of Health Sciences first merit of medical colleges in Punjab.

 The University of Health Sciences (UHS) issued on Monday the first merit list of candidates for admission to 16 public sector medical colleges in Punjab.

 

The merit has risen by 2.16 per cent from 82.19 per cent last year to 84.36 per cent this year.

The merit has been calculated as per the weightage formula of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), adding 10 per cent of matriculation, 40 per cent of intermediate and 50 per cent of entrance test marks.

Only those candidates who had secured 80 per cent or above aggregate marks as per the PMDC formula were eligible to apply for admission on an open merit basis this year. Applications were received from Oct 31 to Nov 10.

A total of 36,100 candidates appeared in the entrance test this year. Out of these 6,737 eligible candidates applied for admission against 3,117 open merit (2,942 MBBS + 175 BDS), 61 under-developed districts (49 MBBS + 12 BDS) and 20 disabled candidates (19 MBBS + 01 BDS) seats available in 16 public sector medical and three dental colleges of the province.

The King Edward Medical University (KEMU) of Lahore remained the top choice of candidates with merit for the college closing at 90.0039 per cent. The last merit for Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, is 88.2342 per cent; Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, 87.0152 per cent; Nishtar Medical College, Multan, 86.5160 per cent; Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, 86.5108 per cent; Ammer-ud-Din Medical College, Lahore, 86.0117 per cent; Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, 85.6926 per cent; Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, 85.5853 per cent; Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, 85.1922 per cent; Sargodha Medical College, Sargodha, 85.0225 per cent; Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala, 84.8823 per cent; Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan, 84.6960 per cent; Nawaz Sharif Medical College, Gujrat, 84.6926 per cent; Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal, 84.5519 per cent; Khawaja Mohammad Safdar Medical College, Sialkot, 84.4675 per cent and D.G. Khan Medical College, D.G. Khan, 84.3615 per cent.

How to Earn Money from Blogging

If you are looking for a way to earn money from the Web and love to write, then consider starting a blog. Blogs have become an important online medium, with some bloggers attaining huge success and earning good money from their online writings.

The video covers primarily the advertising route to earning money from your blog. You can post ads – whether by impression, per click or per action – in your blog and you get paid accordingly. Some advertisers will compensate you for every 1,000 views of their ad. Some are cost per click, where you earn money when a visitor clicks on an ad. Others will pay you only when you give them a sale or a lead. Watch the video to learn how you can earn money for your blog through advertising and read the articles “How to Earn from Your Blog”  and “How to Make Money from Blogs and Blogging”There are a number of ways you can earn money from a blog. Note though that earning money will not be easy and will not come quick, as you will have to first build an audience, establish your credibility and prove that your blog is worth reading.

However, here are other ways you can earn from your blog:

1. Get paid to write.

One way to earn money by blogging is through pay per post programs, where you write about a company’s products or services and you get paid for the post. For some programs, you can set the price you are willing to accept per post, even set a price per word as well as a price per link. Depending on your traffic and topic, some pay per posts can earn you as little as $10 per post or as high as $1,000.

Examples of pay per post programs include

• PayPerPost http://www.payperpost.com
• Smorty http://www.smorty.com
• Blogitive http://my.blogitive.com/pages/howto
• Loud Launch http://www.loudlaunch.com
• Blogging Ads http://www.bloggingads.com
• SponsoredReviews http://www.sponsoredreviews.com
• Blogvertise http://www.blogsvertise.com

Check the requirements of these pay per post programs. Some will require you to disclose that the blog post is a paid post. Others will allow you to freely write whatever you want as long as you include the advertiser’s link in your post. Others will require you to write a post based on the advertiser’s press release or marketing materials.

Be careful though. While pay per post can be very profitable – it is not uncommon for some bloggers to earn $100 a day — many frown on pay per post programs. Your own visitors may be turned off when you sing praises for a product or service because they paid you to write favorably for them. Search engines also frown on these programs, with the possibility that your blog may be penalized and page rank stripped.

2. Become a Freelance Blogger.

There are companies, including non-profit organizations, which want to start a blog but have limited manpower to maintain the blog, write its content and even market the blog. Hence, they look for freelance bloggers who can write for them.

You will need to prove that you are adept at blogging with a creative writing style and solid grammar. You will be asked to submit samples of your blog posts to see if it matches the style and tone of the blog.

Go to sites such as eLance.com http://www.elance.com  to look for jobs hiring freelance bloggers. On eLance.com, for example, there are about 15,000 jobs listings for a blogger in the last 15 days.

If That Shoe Fits

They were the very first thing I saw as I walked through the door. They were gorgeous. Artfully placed on the floor alongside some books and a shopping bag, the red stilettos, were made of shiny leather and very high, needle-thin heels. French no doubt or Italian perhaps. Early 1950s or mid 1980s? Pointing to them I whispered reverentially to Elizabeth my host at the shoe museum: “Are they part of an exhibit?”

She threw back her head and laughed, “No, those are my shoes.”

Elizabeth Semmelheck is senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in downtown Toronto, and ‘an expert on stilettos to boot (pun intended). She has studied high heels for the past 12 years and authored a book titled Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Shoe, where she has traced the continued appeal of high heels among women and men over the centuries.

Dressed to Kill : Stilleto designed by Givenchy 1985-1989

“Given that this is a shoe museum, there must be a lot of pressure on everyone who works here to wear the best foot wear. Or at least wear shoes that have some character,” I wondered out loud. “There is pressure yes, but not from the office or co-workers... just mostly from visitors like you,” she said with a grin.

- Can anyone blame me? I had just entered a multi-storey building which houses more than 12,000 artifacts which in clude shoes, stockings, and buckles — basically everything that is related to footwear. Even the children’s book section in the museum shop plays along with the theme: Puss in Boots, Cinderella, and our own Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s The Cobbler’s Holiday or Why Ants Don’t Wear Shoes.

Surely this must be ‘a unique, one-of-a-kind collection. “No, there are other shoe museums around the world. The two most important ones being in Romans, France, and North Hampton, England. Both towns were once major centres of shoemaking.”

. Back here in Toronto, what is the oldest item in the collection? “Egyptian funerary shoes that go back 4,500 years. The most expensive? “I’m afraid I can’t divulge that.” The most popular shoes? “Those would probably be Elton John’s platform boots. Princess Diana’s shoes also attract many visitors.” And your favourite shoes? “I have a soft spot for every exhibit we set up here,” she responded judiciously.

“Gender is a factor when it comes to shoes, isn’t it,” I persisted, “women have a greater variety to choose from and wear.” “That is mostly true yes, but the choice available to men has broadened because of the Sneaker Culture that started in the 1980s.” Air Jordan, Nike, Adidas, and other such sport shoe manufacturers have found a strong following among men and boys. They keep abreast of the latest styles and experiment with different designs. “Colors too,” Elizabeth added. “It became okay for men to wear bright pink sneakers.”

Lotus Shoes : Such as those worn by chinese women 

“In these times especially, when clothing has been demo cratised thanks to retailers like GAP, shoes make all the difference. For both men and women. One woman dresses in jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. Another wears the same jeans and t-shirt with high heels. Shoes can work as accessories that help to express individuality.”

Lost and found : Nizam Sikandar Jah throne slippers c.1803

Speaking of individuals, a pair of mojaris (khussas) that are said to be owned by Nizam Sikander Jah of Hyderabad (r. 1803-1829) are housed at the museum. Encrusted with gold embroidery and traditional polki jewels, the slippers were not used for actual walking but rather worn only when the ruler was seated on his throne. They offer a tiny glimpse of the enormous wealth that was enjoyed by the Asaf Jahi dynasty during the two centuries of its existence.

In January 2006, his exalted highness’s shoes became the subject of a much publicized theft — and an equally dramatic return. A gang of thieves managed to lift the golden footwear while it was on display and sneaked it out of the building. Shortly after accomplishing this feat, they took photographs of their booty and brought them to a nearby photo shop to be developed. It was the same photo shop that was used by the museum. The staff recognized the shoes, discreetly took photographs of the customer who brought them in and contacted the police. The mojaris were recovered not long afterwards.

“The human foot is the same, but what we put on it is different and also illuminating from a cultural standpoint. Men, women, children, and even little babies wear some kind of footwear.” They may be everyday shoes or shoes that are especially bought for special occasions. Shoes are not just indicators of the style which was popular at a particular period in time; they c also represent the social movements and political milieu of the time.

Take the stiletto for example. In Heights of Fashion Elizabeth explains how Roger Viver first created them in 1954. Although high heels had been worn long before this, the very thin high heel — stiletto means ‘little knife’ in Italian

— became possible only after World War II. “Thanks to war time technology, a strong metal rod enabled needle-thin heels to support the carefully balanced weight of a woman without breaking.”

Platform boots worn by sir Eltonjohn c.1974

Ever since, thin high heels have defined femininity like no other object. No handbag or piece of jewellery can compete with the high heel as an icon of female power. Albeit a hyper sexualized female power. Think Bond girls and Playboy bunnies — flats and flip flops do not come to mind. And in terms of physical pain and hampered mobility, high heels may even be seen as a modern version of foot-binding that was once forced upon women in is that enough to kick the heel habit? Not likely.

Automobiles : LicenseTo Thrill

Automobiles : LicenseTo Thrill

As James Bond braces for his23rd big screen outing withSkyfall on November 9, lanFleming’s character affirms thathe is as relevant today as he wasin I 962 when Dr No wasreleased. And while majorelements of the franchise haveremained unchanged, be it theglamorous Women, theeccentric villains or thehigh4tech gadgets, here is a lookat the cars the world’s mostfamous secret agent has usedover the years

 

 Aston Martin 065:

Arguably the most iconic car of the franchise, the DB5 is as British as Bond himself. Making an appearance in no less than six movies, its appearance was most memorable in Sean Connery’s third role as Bond in Goldfin get. In addition to “all the usual refinements”, the D85was equipped with pop out machine guns concealed behind the lights, bullet proof windows,tire cutters and an passenger ejector seat to get rid of hostile occupants. A model of the DB5featuring these gadgets was auctioned for $4.1 million in2010

BMW 75OiL: 

BMW was Bond’s car of choice during Pierce Brosnan’s run in the 1990’s. But none matched the class that oozed out of the 7 Series showcased in Tomorrow Never Dies. Central to theplot and action sequences, the car was armed with missile launchers and anti tire spikes.The car’s tires were re—inflatable, but the best feature was how it could be controlledwith the touchpad on Bond’s Ericsson phone.

Aston Martin DBS Vi 2: 

Not to be confused with the 0B5, the DBS was first used in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969 and used again in Casino Royale in 2006, when the franchise returned to the Aston Martins. In Daniel Craig’s first film as the secret agent,

the car reflects the change of mood injected into the Bond films by not being packed withgadgets as frivolously as its predecessors were. The only notable feature was anemergency medical kit with a defibrillator, used to save Bond’s life after he was poisonedat the Casino. The car also broke the world record for car flips during the car crash sceneby rolling seven and half times. –

Top 10 Tech Your Next Car Should Have

Top 10 Features Your Next Car Should Have

 

 

Cars are becoming increasingly sophisticated nowadays. While ABS and EBD systems were extremely rare in cars about five years ago, now you get them as standard features in a car. We can look forward to even more outstanding features in the future such as self-healing paint as well as self-inflating tires. So when you tend to purchase your next car, look out for ten of the below features to make the most of your buy. 

 

1. Remote keyless entry

 

 

Keyless entry systems allow you to unlock your car by pushing a button on a remote. The ability to quickly get into your car without fumbling for the key is an important safety feature, especially in poorly-lit areas. With most remotes, pushing the button once unlocks just the driver's door; you must push twice to unlock other doors, so there's no worry about a hidden intruder jumping into the passenger's side. Most also have a panic button that honks the horn and flashes the lights.

2. OnStar System

 

 

With OnStar, help from a real-live person is always just a button-push away. Got a flat tire? Someone following you? Just need to hear a human voice? Push the button. OnStar advisors can summon a tow truck or a cop, or just say hello. If your airbags deploy, they call you. They can even track your car if it's stolen and remotely let you in if you're locked out. OnStar charges a monthly subscription fee; the basic plan gives you the most critical safety benefits and is a bargain at $17/month.  

3. Anti-lock brakes (ABS)

 

 

 

Simple physics dictates that a turning wheel has more traction than one that is skidding. Antilock brake systems (ABS) watch individual wheel speeds; if one locks up, they pump the brakes far faster than a human could. Don't worry about giving up control to a computer; if the ABS system goes on the fritz (they rarely do) the brakes work normally. Do-it-yourselfers can still do their own brake jobs (though you must relieve system pressure before removing a brake line; check your repair manual).

4. Electronic stability/skid-control system

ESC systems use the anti-lock brake sensors (which show individual wheel speed), accelerometers, and steering wheel/pedal position sensors to figure out what the car is doing and what the driver wants it to do. If the two don't seem to match up, ESC does what no driver can: It applies the brakes to individual wheels and reduces power as needed to keep the car going where the driver is trying to point it. They are almost transparent and work surprisingly well.

5. Telescoping steering wheel/adjustable pedals

 

 

 

Most new cars have height-adjustable (tilt) steering columns; some cars have steering wheels that telescope (move in and out) and/or electrically adjustable pedals. The latter two not only make finding a comfortable position easier, but they allow shorter drivers to safely position themselves farther from the airbag while still keeping their feet comfortably on the pedals.

6. Rear-seat DVD player

 

 

 

Got kids? Movies-on-the-go can make long trips easier for both you and them. Many rear-seat entertainment systems include wireless headphones, so you can enjoy the stereo (or the peace and quiet). My own children would have TVs surgically implanted in the backs of their hands if they could, so in order to avoid turning them into road-going zombies I generally limit movie watching to long trips. They also make a convenient reward and/or dangling carrot.

 

7. GPS navigation system

 

 

 

Using the Global Positioning Satellite System and sensors in the car, GPS navigation systems can pinpoint your exact location and give you turn-by-turn directions (via a small video screen, spoken voice, or both) to help you find your way. Most will also guide you to the closest gas station, ATM, hospital or police station. They can steer you out of a bad neighborhood, they can route you around traffic, and no matter how lost you get, they can always help you find your way home.

8. Side airbags

 

 

 

Most cars have at least three feet of crush space at the front and back, but only a few inches of protection at the sides. Federally-mandated door beams help keep the car intact instead of caving in. But there's still the problem of inertia: While the car is being pushed away, your body (particularly your head, which isn't secured by the seat belt) wants to stay still, and it could go right through the side window. Side airbags cushion your noggin and help keep it safely inside the car.

9. Center console with power outlet

 

 

 

Open the center consoles on many new cars and you'll find a power outlet (a.k.a. a cigarette lighter without the lighter). These outlets provide a way to charge your mobile phone while keeping it out of sight. I'm dead-set against talking on the phone while driving (though I sometimes do it anyway), but it's good to know you'll always have juice to make a call in case of an emergency.

10. Roadside assistance

 

 

 

Flat tire? Dead battery? Out of gas? Traditionally, people have turned to AAA (US) or CAA (Canada) for life's little motoring emergencies, but many new cars come with roadside assistance as part of their new-car warranty. Several manufacturers even offer it as part of their "certified used" programs. That said, AAA and CAA memberships are inexpensive; with all the travel discounts they bring, your membership may very likely pay for itself.

10 Features Of A Profitable Rental Property

Top 10 Features Of A Profitable Rental Property

From the first decision to invest in real estate to actually buying your first rental property, there is a lot of work to be done. This task may be daunting for the first-time investor. Owning property is a tough business and the field is peppered with land mines that can obliterate your returns. Here we'll take a look at the top 10 things you should consider when shopping for an income property.


Starting Your SearchAlthough you may want a real estate agent to help you complete the purchase of a rental property, you should start searching for your investment on your own. Having an agent can bring unnecessary pressure to buy before you have found a property that suits you. The most important thing is to take an unbiased approach to all the properties and neighborhoods within your investing range.

Your investing range will be limited by whether you intend to actively manage the property (be a landlord) or hire someone else to manage it. If you intend to actively manage, you should not get a property that's too far away from where you live. If you are going to get a management company to look after it for you, your proximity to the property will be less of an issue. (To find out how to save money as a rental owner, see Tax Deductions For Rental Property Owners and Tips For The Prospective Landlord.)

Let's take a look at the top 10 things you should consider when searching for the right rental property.

1. NeighborhoodsThe quality of the neighborhood in which you buy will influence both the types of tenants you attract and how often you face vacancies. For example, if you buy in a neighborhood near a university, the chances are that your pool of potential tenants will be mainly made up of students and that you will face vacancies on a fairly regular basis (during summer, when students tend to return back home).
   
2. Property Taxes Property taxes are not standard across the board and, as an investor planning to make money from rent, you want to be aware of how much you will be losing to taxes. High property taxes may not always be a bad thing if the neighborhood is an excellent place for long-term tenants, but the two do not necessarily go hand in hand. The town's assessment office will have all the tax information on file or you can talk to homeowners within the community.
   
3. Schools Your tenants may have or be planning to have children, so they will need a place near a decent school. When you have found a good property near a school, you will want to check the quality of the school as this can affect the value of your investment. If the school has a poor reputation, prices will reflect your property's value poorly. Although you will be mostly concerned about the monthly cash flow, the overall value of your rental property comes in to play when you eventually sell it and retire someday. (To keep reading about owning and selling real estate, see Sell Your Rental Property For A Profit.)
   
4. Crime No one wants to live next door to a hot spot for criminal activity. Go to the police or the public library for accurate crime statistics for various neighborhoods, rather than asking the homeowner who is hoping to sell the house to you. Items to look for are vandalism rates, serious crimes, petty crimes and recent activity (growth or slow down). You might also want to ask about the frequency of police presence in your neighborhood.
   
5. JobsLocations with growing employment opportunities tend to attract more people - meaning more tenants. To find out how a particular area rates, go directly to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or to your local library. If you notice an announcement for a new major company moving to the area, you can rest assured that workers will flock to the area. However, this may cause house prices to react (either negatively or positively) depending on the corporation moving in. The fall back point here is that if you would like the new corporation in your backyard, your renters probably will too.
   
6. Amenities Check the potential neighborhood for current or projected parks, malls, gyms, movie theaters, public transport hubs and all the other perks that attract renters. Cities, and sometimes even particular areas of a city, have loads of promotional literature that will give you an idea of where the best blend of public amenities and private property can be found.
   
7. Building Permits and Future Development The municipal planning department will have information on all the new development that is coming or has been zoned into the area. If there are many new condos, business parks or malls going up in your area, it is probably a good growth area. However, watch out for new developments that could hurt the price surrounding properties by, for example, causing the loss of an activity-friendly green space. The additional condos and/or new housing could also provide competition for your renters, so be aware of that possibility.
   
8. Amount of Listings and VacanciesIf there is an unusually high amount of listings for one particular neighborhood, this can either signal a seasonal cycle or a neighborhood that has "gone bad." Make sure you figure out which it is before you buy in. You should also determine whether you can cover for any seasonal fluctuations in vacancies.
   
   Similar to listings, the vacancy rates will give you an idea of how successful you will be at attracting tenants. High vacancy rates force landlords to lower rents in order to snap up tenants - low vacancy rates allow landlords to raise rental rates.
   
9. RentsRent will be the bread and butter for your rental property, so you need to know what the average rent in the area is. If charging the average rent is not going to be enough to cover your mortgage payment, taxes and other expenses, then you have to keep looking. Be sure to research the area well enough to gauge where the area will be headed in the next five years. If you can afford the area now, but major improvements are in store and property taxes are expected to increase, then what could be affordable now may mean bankruptcy later.
   
10. Natural Disasters Insurance is another expense that you will have to subtract from your returns, so it is good to know just how much you will need to carry. If an area is prone to earthquakes or flooding, the extra insurance can add up and eat away at your rental income. (To learn which policies you will need, check out Insurance Tips For Homeowners and Beginners' Guide To Homeowners Insurance.)

Getting InformationTalk to renters as well as homeowners in the neighborhood. Renters will be far more honest about the negative aspects of the area because they have no investment in it. If you are set on a particular neighborhood, try to visit it at different times on different days of the week to see your future neighbors in action.

The Physical PropertyIn general, the best investment property for beginners is a residential, single-family dwelling or a condominium. Condos are low maintenance because the condo association is there to help with many of the external repairs, leaving you to worry about the interior. Because condos are not truly independent living units, however, they tend to garner lower rents and appreciate more slowly than single-family homes. (For more insight, read Buying A Condo and Does Condo Life Suit You?)

Single-family homes tend to attract longer-term renters in the form of families and couples. The reason families, or two adults in a relationship, are generally better tenants than one person is because they are more likely to be financially stable and pay the rent regularly. This owes to the simple fact that two can live almost as cheaply as one (as far as food, rent and utilities go) while still enjoying dual income. As a landlord, you want to find a property and a neighborhood that is going to attract that type of demographic.

When you have the neighborhood narrowed down, look for a property that has appreciation potential and a good projected cash flow. Check out properties that are more expensive than you can afford as well as those within your reach - real estate can often sell below its listing price. Watch the listing prices of other properties and ask buyers about the final selling price to get an idea of what the market value really is in the neighborhood. For appreciation potential, you are looking for a property that, with a few cosmetic changes and some renovations, will attract tenants who are willing to pay out higher rents. This will also serve you well by raising the value of the house if you choose to sell it after a few years.

As far as cash flow, you are going to have to make an informed guess. Take the average rent for the neighborhood and subtract your expected monthly mortgage payment, property taxes (divided by 12 months), insurance costs (also divided by 12) and a generous allowance for maintenance and repairs. Don't lie to yourself and underestimate the cost of maintenance and repairs or you will pay for it once the deal is done. If all these figures come out even or, better yet, with a little left over, you can now get your real estate agent to submit an offer and, if everything goes well, order business cards with Landlord emblazoned across the top.

The Bottom LineEvery state has good cities, every city has good neighborhoods and every neighborhood has good properties, but it takes a lot of footwork and research to line up all three. When you do find your ideal rental property, keep your expectations realistic and make sure that your own finances are in a healthy enough state that you can wait for the property to start producing cash flow rather than needing it desperately. Real estate investing doesn't start with buying a rental property - it begins with creating the financial situation where you can buy a rental property.