By fall of 2021, both the visiting scholars and the vacationers were back in town, a lot of furnished listings had disappeared and I am back to renting at my pre-pandemic rates. 

Do your research first though on how to pre-vet tenants or consider talking to at least 2-3 different property managers in the area. 

The most recent data show that record momentum continues for the residential rental industry especially for the short-term rental industry, with year-over-year bookings now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.The complexity of the problem hinges on the definitions of “short-term” versus “long-term” rentals for tax purposes.

But, would my 2024 income even be considered towards pre-approval given it is not on a tax return yet?

Then talk to an agent about your goals and they will help you navigate what you can afford based on your pre approval.

I can't do that with a self-directed IRA.The reason I still use the self-directed account is that I had some old 401ks that I rolled over - I use that money to invest in debt because if I invest in real estate through that account, I lose a lot of the tax advantages.Again, it's different for each person - neither of these are bad products, they just have to be used correctly.  

Get pre-approved for a loan, set up alerts, and assess older properties.

As October rolls in, the weather is cooling and real estate continues to do so as well.

Take all the money and roll it into a better investment where, for the first time, you focus on the investment outside of a primary.

I’m just getting rolling again from a many year hiatus from investing and I’m more a buy and hold investor.