Start small and scale up gradually as you gain experience and capital.Don't discount tax savings from rental while building your portfolio.

I use a scoring system where applicants gain and lose points and their total either meets or falls short of my established line in the sand.

Framing the idea as a way to preserve and improve the family property (rather than focusing on personal gain) might help avoid misunderstandings.

Selling and dropping the equity into an index fund is a lower-maintenance option, but you’d be locking in your gains at a relatively stagnant point in the market.Given your low interest rate and the potential for rents to inch up, renting could be a reasonable play.

Additionally, I’ve deepened my understanding of real estate terminology and gained valuable insights into the critical aspects of properties, from structural components to factors to look out for. 

If we resided in a property for 20 months in the last 5 years, does the IRS consider a "partial" capital gains tax exemption?

It appears I'll need a 1031 exchange to offset substantial capital gains. 

I'm excited to learn more, gain the education, and utilize the tools I need to succeed.

It’s clear that you’re taking the right steps by educating yourself and connecting with others in forums and groups.Keep leveraging the knowledge you’re gaining, and remember that patience and consistency are key.

And if you lived out there and could self manage, maybe you're making 200/mo even.From a return standpoint, even at break even, you're gaining 8k a year in depreciation to offset against regular income so maybe 2k there.