I've considered broadening my horizons beyond the QCA.

So at this point, the rate of return may well be less and the time horizon increased by approximately 2 years meaning that my average rate of return has gone down significantly. 

That is probably true if you have a really long investment time horizon, but you have lived here through the ups and downs - so you must remember what it was like with rents falling and vacancies increasing in 2001 and then again in 2008. 

Let's connect if you're raising for great IRR deals with 3-7 year horizon's. 

I have expanded my horizon and read books from other authors too.

I actually get a good number of leads, just posting here, now I will caution at least in my market d.c. metro a lot of the strategies you see here on bp, flipping,brrring,living rent free, even house hacking by buying a multi, simply do not work with current rates if they ever did, once i explain to buyers that buying in our region can be a good return if you are planning to owner occupy for 5+ years (I literally told a client just last week if he only had a 2-3 year time horizon he was better renting or buying a 1bd condo) often the lead's vanish, which is totally understable given the environment, was talking with another agent who get's leads through bp the other day and he was saying the same thing, so to some extent getting the leads isn't the issue, it's if the market is conducive to the easy money investing everyone got used to in 2020-2022 right now. 

Currently for myself and my investor clients, I'm recommending a longer hold horizon, quality properties in good locations.

Everyone's situation is unique but I'm in camp of holding properties and extending the investing horizon.

Horizons are broadened and skies the limit!

Doesn't mean you will depending on your time horizon, geography, etc. but that's where the odds are from a pure appreciation standpoint.