I am a dog lover and completely understand where you are coming from.  

This is where your focus should be, not buying section 8 rentals or focusing solely on increasing your portfolio by 2x, 3x etc.

You don't want to run into an issue where she could be potentially disrupting other tenants or potentially causing significant damage to your property. 

You may find this a viable option with rates where they are, especially if your rental income continues to cover the mortgage.Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC): If your property qualifies, you could use a HELOC to access the equity without disturbing the current mortgage.

@Steve Babiak, unless he registered with Pennsylvania as a contractor, he would not show up on there, the company as the OP stated is from NJ where he would be registered. he should be registered in PA if he is doing work there, so i agree, he should have shown up on those sites, i am a contractor in NJ but do not do work in PA, not even my own properties, so i do not show up on those sites.

If you are able to buy a house where you are and have your friends as roommates I’m thinking you will be more likely to be able to collect rent.

Since you are doing new construction I would suggest making them private enough where guest have minimal interaction with each other.

I believe that mentorship and collaboration are key to success in this industry, and I'm here to learn from all of you and contribute where I can.If you're in the Charlotte area or have insights to share, I’d love to hear from you!

Where are you looking to invest? 

I'd argue that there are very select zip codes where this strategy works.