One thing you will want to explore is the tax rate in the specific counties you are looking in.

You get a HELOC or a PLOC with a reasonable rate.

If we the landlord would want to break the contract before the end of the multi-year term, we have to pay him a pro-rated fee to reimburse his investment

How are interest rates?

Interest rates were what, near 3%, 5 years ago.

It would be our second up down house hack, however, with interest rates in the high 6's, it would probably not cash flow after moving out.

As a first time and out of state investor, my top priorities for this first investment were (1) a property that would be quick to rent (as I didn’t have other properties to offset extended vacancy rates), and (2) a very strong local PM team that RTR had extensive success with.

NOI divided by purchase price gives you cap rate. 

This bodes well for long-term equity growth.Rising Rents: The uptick in rental prices shows a strong demand for rental properties and could lead to better cash flow for investors.Economic Strength: Reading has a diverse economy, with key sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and education providing stability.Rental Demand: Low vacancy rates signal that people are actively renting in the area, which is essential for scalability.Future Development: Any upcoming infrastructure projects or new businesses could further boost the market.With these positive trends, it seems like Reading could be a scalable rental market.

I do not do any flat rate to the tenants I just bake it into the rent!