Next, i'd like to invest in towns that have similar characteristics - income to rent ratios, income to property values, household income, job growth, population growth. 

Arguments could be made toward ascertaining the demographics, learning the median household income, etc., but really, sometimes you have to make the leap, especially if you are just getting into real estate.

I have been extremely conservative in my tiny rental portfolio (own 2 rental houses outright with large cash reserves on a sub 75k household income) if my tenants stopped paying it would suck, but I’m not beholden to a mortgage .

I'd rather have 1/4 of the home miss rent than the entire household.

Many of my tenants who make $15-$20 hourly have received several thousand per household, intended to help pay for rent and utilities.

@Max Householder sorry to get back to you so late but I really appreciate the in depth analysis and your personal experience.

Seeking some answers possibly from a mortgage broker that I could call and discuss everything that would be needed, as far as down payment, household income, debt/income ratio, etc.please let me know if anyone out there could get on a phone call to discuss. thank you

@Max Householder You guys know how to make a guy feel loved.Cheers :)

From what I've seen so far, a lot of the multi-family households available are in bad areas (Sulpher Springs & around 275), or they're priced very high.

There are concerns about longer lasting impacts that hamper the recovery (affected sectors, lack of confidence, and increase in household savings during the lockdowns).