Plus the future rent income.  

Gradually transition to larger, higher-end projects as you gain confidence and expertise, balancing risk and reward.

I keep in touch with some folks still involved with those properties and the syndicators are are operating them very poorly (that makes me angry because I took care of these buildings well, treated the tenants well etc. and some of the units are section 8, the rest are low income). 

In addition we would like the flexibility for me to be able to supplement my income or leave my employer as we see fit.

If you have a high income and can support 2 mortgages with your DTI, then providing a solid LOE for your circumstance may suffice. 

The good thing is the duplex is worth almost double what we built it for and we have had good tenants on both sides ($185,000 rental income so far) except for the bed bug lady so everything has worked out ok. 

The definition of each class is heavily weighed on the income level that tenants earn in those areas.

If you borrow against the equity, you'll need to include that payment in your calculation, as well.You make 3x the average income for Pennsylvania at the age of 32.

You could ask that they put a year or so of savings into a separate account on which you have view access or receive a monthly statement so you can see they have the ability to pay future rent.They aren't going to last without other income or savings with income at 1.25x rent.

You have less control with a property like this when compared to other asset classes.The upside here is that it seems there is room for negotiation because of the below-market rent tenants.If you're looking to put down $200-250K, I would recommend looking into a multifamily property, especially one with additional income potential.