But once I got the bills, I increased the rent with the tenant's approval and signed an addendum to the lease stating the rent increase would be X and the owner would take over utilities.

The deduction is optimized as values increase and can potentially offset the entire net investment (including down payment) for high wage earners.

I suspect that is unlikely with the increased need for housing.  

I like the cash flow and see the potential for increasing rents, but I’m hesitant about overpaying.

This would increase the benefit to where the fee would not be so outrageous that it would hinder the investment.

Owner occupied united increased by 8.4%"Still, although the overall share of households that rented decreased, the number of rented units increased by over a million units (43.3 million to 44.6 million)."

in a stick frame market and one of the cheapest markets to build we build with margin at $190 or so a square foot. that will go up over time about 5% or 10% a year to keep up with new build price increases. we are buidling a 3 story walk up and source some of the lowest priced crews.

Also know that upon sale sometimes the presence of more water meters increases value.Curious to understand the forum's opinion on the best water meter configuration given costs OR if it’s just not worth it and I should leave the one master meter and stick with RUBS on all 4 units.

Quote from @Justin Brin: I created a heat map showing the population changes in each state over the past five years (2020–2024).The states experiencing the largest population increases are Florida, Texas, Utah, Arizona, and South Carolina.

Peter Lohmann’s newsletter is a solid source for staying on top of national trends; I’d recommend subscribing if you haven’t already.In Texas, I’ve noticed increased activity, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.