With rental increases I could prob pay off my mortgage in 5/6 years which would net me 4K.

This allows us to increase our active cashflow to then cherry pick the long term holds we would like as well as work faster.

The new manufacturing out at Tesla and the new lithium battery factories will continue to put upward pressure on prices and increase competition. 

Is the appreciation still the same after the building boom that happened during the 2020-25 years because supply has significantly increased in red states and still constrained in blue states?  

By doing this, not only are you increasing the value hopefully building you some equity (giving you some boost in your net worth) but also increase rental potential too. 

Since I will be living in, I am looking for a nice neighbrhood with somewhat remodeled house with opportunities to increase the value as well.I would love to connect with other investors in the area and appreicate any insights as a newbie!

I used arbitrary and small numbers for rent increases and appreciation because the same applies to each of those strategies so I didn't want it to affect things too much. 

You are already succeeding by living for free, which will increase what you can save for the next investment.1-2 years later, buy another one and turn the first property into a pure rental.

I also assume you’re investing in an area with increasing rents so look at 3-5 years out with increased rents an it better cashflow well if rent isn’t stagnant. 

In case you missed it, Detroit' Mayor Duggan announced that the value of houses in the city increased 23% in 2024.In the last 7 years, Detroit housing is up over 300%!