Because of my savings and lack of expenses, I'm in a very comfortable position to make my first move, but because my income is mid, I'm unable to meet the Debt-to-Income requirements to qualify.

I be sure to offer nice weekly and monthly price discounts. 

Get out of your comfort zone.

I’ve been around real estate for decades, and I read in The Economist once that in lively markets like Charlotte, folks will pay a premium for a comfortable room if you’re near major employers.A friend of mine tried something similar out in Austin a while back.. he’d inherited a 4-bedroom property and split it into individual room rentals.

With the cost of utilities and the level of comfort people feel is mandatory now there is no way I would want to be on the hook for it. 

A HELOC or cash-out refinance is definitely worth exploring if you want to free up capital for more investments, but make sure it fits your goals and comfort level.

After talking with an operator I felt he was a good choice for a tenant and he mad a great offer above market for the apartment so we agreed.In the past I would usually rent my own units and to stay competitive I would keep an eye on the rentals in the area and try to be one step above if I could....This time that was a little tougher as the neighborhood hasn't gotten very trendy. 

It’s a city I know well because I built a 12-door portfolio there between 2019 and 2021.Detroit offers a lot of value in terms of affordability and rental demand.

My wife not comfortable putting our house as equity, therefore we are utilizing other options to fund investment properties. 

Get out of your comfort zone.