But the mortgage is still too high. 

With today's high interest rates, it usually doesn't make sense.

We've sold 65+ homes and the biggest request we get from our Buyers is help with closing costs.Most of our deals we're providing anywhere between $5K-$10K to help Buyers offset the cash requirement to purchase a home.Even in today’s "high" interest rate environment, many Buyers prioritize closing cost assistance over an interest rate buydown.

For example, should we focus on acquiring one high-quality property in a strong market, or would it make more sense to spread the investment across multiple lower-cost units in emerging areas?

Interesting I thought, that they have that high of a rating.

But presuming you are talking about doing the above, this is a high risk strategy.

If one has high living expenses, cash flow doesn't mean much and I definitely understand going for appreciation first.

So, even when the market is challenging, you can still see properties and stay current.Don't take a break when the rates are high.

And DIY repairs are not recommended for other reasons: it will take you much longer to complete, depriving you of rental income, and you run a high risk of your wife becoming your ex-wife.Same risk exists if you push your wife into becoming a Realtor or some other real estate activity just for the sake of tax benefits.

If anyone tells you that you can get 15% cash-on-cash it's either a scam or ultra high risk.