When we moved, we turned it into a rental, hoping this would be the start of our real estate journey—something we’d like to continue once my husband retires.Some key details:My husband is active duty and will retire in 3 years.We have one final move coming up this summer to Raleigh, NC.Our current debts are crippling us—the high interest makes it tough to stay afloat every month.The plan I proposed to my husband:Sell the rental property.Use the proceeds to pay off all our debts, set aside emergency funds and a down payment for our next home.Free up $1,500/month from debt payments, and that also can stash in a high-yield savings account.Regain full VA loan entitlement, allowing us to purchase a multifamily home and use the house hacking strategy for up coming move.Avoid capital gains tax, since April marks five years of ownership, and the tenant’s lease ends in May.This wasn’t our original plan, and we hate the idea of using our equity to pay off debt.

Our lot is fenced in and we cannot see where he lives but close enough to be of concern, but we want to stay in the same town until the kids are finished school.So, my question is this, would it make sense to rent our home (roughly $2300-2500/mo. as per real-estate agent claims), with the stipulation that the garage is used for my business AND buy a home nearby?

I was considering staying close to home.

So back to the drawing board, but for myself the big takeaway is to continue on the course that I set out on and too continually learn and stay involved with goals that I set out on and to stay focused.

I’m still refining my approach there, but having the right team in place is one of the biggest keys to scaling sustainably.Definitely looking forward to staying in touch and exchanging ideas as we both grow in this space.

If you wanted to house hack I would stay where you are at and find one there.

If you want to buy in University city, I recommend staying as close to the universities possible in order to attract the best tenants and have the best room for appreciation.

It's very easy to stay organized this way.

This also gives me solid staying power when maintenance costs arise. 

This strategy helped a Phoenix investor rank higher in the “Group Stays” category.A/B testing is another essential step.