I know for sure that in my area of Texas (well outside of major metro areas), we've seen the cost to build new homes almost double in price. 

Any rational landlord will double or triple their screening efforts because nobody wants to accidentally put a deadbeat in their property. 

Very little cash flows at 7% interest with houses that have doubled in price over the last 5 years.    

I closed on one in SC last month and just completed this future booking conversion process.Firstly, I would like to double down on everything Andrew Steffens mentioned 1000%.

And a single or double play is awesome.

For instance, one investor I worked with used it to jump from a duplex to a 4-unit building in Phoenix, effectively doubling their rental income as well as the forecasted appreciation rate on their new property.

Obviously, two factors are responsible for what will likely be more than doubling our money in 3 years.  1.

New drive up units have almost doubled in price in the last 4 years to around $4,100 erected; not counting land and other costs. 

A few times our door knocker team doubles as "movers" litterally.- You will have to come out of pocket for the arears, fees etc, just to get into "contract" some times $20k or more and all you have as protection is the word of someone who's proven to be unreliable and a signed piece of paper... 

Keeping a 2.99% rate sounds great, but it may be costing you thousands of dollars if you are in the double digits with your other outstanding debts.