You do not need to go that extreme, and as I get older I'm understanding more and more of the value of balance. 

That seems fair because they probably balance out to somewhere around $30-$40 an hour, which is a good wage for cleaning.If they don't like that, convert to paying them an hourly rate based on your market and pay them for the time required.

In addition, targeted searches for "apartments 77008" and "greater heights apartments" have lower competition which provides a great opportunity for organic and lower cost of acquisition.Household Composition: 77008 shows balanced demand for both family-oriented housing and non-family units, promoting investments in single-family homes and high-quality apartments. 77063 indicates higher demand for rental units and smaller homes, focusing on apartments and affordable housing options.Despite higher entry costs and a lower percentage of renter-occupied units, 77008 appears to offer better prospects for appreciation and lower vacancy rates, making it a more suitable choice for investment.Greater Heights OverviewThe Greater Heights area (77008), often referred to as "The Heights," is renowned for its prime location offering a blend of amenities, top-rated schools, and abundant job opportunities.

Lenders will require 5% down and you will need to meet the conforming loan limits (not high balance unfortunately).

I think the bottom line is there are many ways to achieve success in RE. 

I found this but I can't understand what the other costs are https://www.narpm.org/members/resources/rent-vs-sell-calculator/SFH current value: $441,000Bought for (2020 new construction): $362,000 (primary residence till Nov 2023)Mortgage balance: $218,000Interest rate: 2.375% for 15-year loan (12 years left)Annual Tax, insurance and HOA: $7,000Current rent: $2950Appreciation: Reached $441K in March 2022 and has stagnated since.

Helocs are great for this because you don't have to make payments until you use the capital and if you don't have a balance you don't pay.

That being said I see clients achieving 2x monthly cashflow returns on investments even with 7% mortgages.

Find the balance where land is decent, but rents are high. 

Remember, C/D located properties generally appraise once improved for significantly more than they will actually sell in an arms length transaction so you can go to many C/D neighborhoods, successfully complete the BRRRR method but deal with  all of the operational difficulties of the asset class and then fail to achieve a sale figure remotely close to the favorable appraisal  that allowed for the proceeds to be returned through the refinance.