Then hopefully we have a 3-4-5 year window to increase rates. 

It's a combo of low housing supply, higher interest rates vs. seller expectation, and a poor economic outlook for the country.As an investor with a few rentals it's like like the parking brake is stuck on.

Ok yeah we are thinking of getting an investment property loan so we can stay in our current home.If we did the FHA route we are considering on living in the new property for 1 year and then moving back into our old one after the year is up.We are curious if we would get a more favorable rate if we borrowed from our home equity to buy the investment property.Do you have any idea if many investors borrow from their home equity to get started?  

I always run the numbers with long term rental rates.

Many property managers tend to focus on physical occupancy rates, but what truly matters is the economic occupancy rates—the actual rent collected.

What is occupancy and rate and how does that compare to your competition? 

Hey @Vanessa Lule, both @Chris Seveney and @John Underwood make good points and Chris's list is right on the money.So is the $3600 a month market rate?

To decrease the amount of money you pay out of pocket you could turn part of the home to a STR or MTR.

From what I've seen, Jacksonville has attractive housing prices and rental rates.

It wasn’t how I wanted to kick things off, but I worked with a contractor to get the bathroom fixed and functional.Once that was behind me, I focused on improving the building and maximizing income:I installed a shared washer and dryer for the tenants, a major upgrade that added convenience and increased the property’s value.I rented out the two garage parking spaces, bringing in consistent revenue.I also raised rents for the second- and third-floor tenants I inherited to be just below market-rate.