We don't have kids (might in the future), my husband and I are young and healthy, have stable high-income full-time jobs, and just put in a lot of work to both properties so don't expect huge expenses in the near future.

My only hesitant with that was if they make a copy and regain our home in the future.

Go out and start making your future come into existence. 

I don't think the future will be kind to the investors who bought cheap houses in a big community of other investors. 

One time I had a guest smoke and it went right up the ducts into my unit, it was awful.I'm conscious about how that could potentially affect guests who will be staying in the upper unit in the future.

When a tenant moves out, transfer the deposit back to Checking so it's ready to apply towards expenses or to refund to the Tenant.If you end up with excess funds in the Checking account, I recommend you transfer it to a third account that is specifically designated for future investments.

– Considering Class A properties with established tenants• Less focus on appreciation – Prioritizing income stability over potential future gains Current Opportunity: I’m evaluating a retail property in downtown Portland with:• >80% occupancy, most tenants in place for 10+ years• Decent cap rate (6-7%), NNN lease• Well-maintained, high-quality building, with existing HOA which will take care of maintenance. 

In the near future, we’ll be visiting The Shoals area in northern Alabama, where we’re considering a potential move this spring.

I want to look into the possibility of a future ADU there as well.

I would recommend looking at a loan with a short prepayment penalty if looking to get cash out, that way you can refinance again if rates drop again in the near future.