“A new Michigan law bans many landlords from rejecting tenants based on source of income, like housing vouchers, veterans’ benefits or Social Security.Gov.

I am a real estate broker and property manager based in Clarksville, TN and I specialize in working with investors.

Prices a few years ago were based on expectations of (in addition to interest rates staying low): - Then current operating cost assumptions (like insurance cost expectations being flat)- A seeming disregard for record levels of new inventory / supply hitting the market- Extremely high inbound migration expectations which are likely to not be met, due to both natural disasters and the boomerang effect when people from California or the Northeast move to the American South and hate every minute of the humidity, the large and relentless swarm of insects, and the occasional hurricane. 

In high-cost markets like Chicago, that can be tough to meet.If you're looking at a duplex, the self-sufficiency test doesn’t apply, so you’d just need to qualify based on your personal income and the rental income your lender allows.If your current lender isn’t familiar with making FHA work in your situation, it might be worth getting a second opinion from someone experienced with FHA multi-unit financing.

There’s no real reason to jump into another market unless your goals shift and your current market doesn’t fit anymore—or if the market itself stops producing the results you need.Mastering one market and squeezing every opportunity out of it is a much better play than spreading yourself too thin and getting half-baked results in multiple places.

@Daniel Baker I would say a lot of it is based on their training or their resources that they utilize to complete your taxes.

And I'd argue the average rents can be increased nearly 30% based on the current FMRs in the zip code.

We don't bait and switch, we work deals based on actual details of the client's specific deal.

If it’s a good deal based on the comps, and in a good location, then I’d look into a conventional loan and maybe putting a little more down so that it cash flows.

If your brother is an E5 or higher he can live off base.