Many of these areas also benefit from both rising home values and increasing rents.Ultimately, successful investing comes down to selecting a growing market, a strong neighborhood, and building a reliable team to support you.

In several markets I follow there has been a HUGE increase in taxes year over year for the past several years.

That way you don't increase your payment unless you pull money out.

Expand your network, educate potential investors, and leverage social media to increase your reach and influence.

Also due to price increases you can probably cut a better deal on an existing home and probably get better quality too.Normally you'll probably need a couple of years of income to get a loan. 

I think the story across a lot of the upstate is similar, net exodus from 2000-2020, followed by a surprising increase in prices and population growth following the pandemic as people (and companies) searched for affordability. 

We've since increased their rent to market rate, and now we're experiencing late payments.Family Member as Tenant:Issue: Our family member is behind on rent for more than 5 months, with a rate below market due to their relationship with us.Behavior: They have made excuses about financial struggles, yet have been seen treating their new girlfriend to fine dinners and outings.Impact: Both tenants consistently pay late and have shown complete disrespect to us, the property owners, despite efforts to ensure their happiness and success.We'd hate to impact our relationship with them, but right now, they're hurting us and our pockets. 

For me, I could handle the increase in cost and still pay much less than If I got a 4/2 SF.

Debt Reduction - at the very least, another human being is paying down your mortgage and increasing your equity.

However, it’s important to ensure the seller is comfortable with the terms and that the property cash flow can support the agreed-upon monthly payments.Seller financing can be a good strategy to grow your portfolio with less initial capital, especially if you're able to increase the property's value through improvements (forcing appreciation).