If not for you and you prefer the traditional route, I would explore potential "up and coming" markets such as Acworth, Cartersville, and Douglasville, where the price-to-rent ratio is a little more favorable, and growth is apparent.

The phone calls and questions were always answered by a real person and in a timely fashion.

View cash flow as necessary to cover expenditures and meet debt coverage ratios in order to obtain favorable financing, do not view cash flow as a vehicle to cover future down payments. 

Focus on cities with favorable price-to-rent ratios, population growth, and employment trends, such as Des Moines, Oklahoma City, and Charlotte, while considering factors like landlord-friendliness and property taxes.

Private equity firms seem to favor larger operations with scalable systems, while smaller mom-and-pop firms are often acquired by local players or regional operators looking to expand their footprint.If you’re looking for actionable intel, reaching out to brokers specializing in the sale of PM firms could provide useful leads.

Other local lenders I have used recently do not have very favorable terms. 

Leveraging our market connections, we identified the property’s potential and negotiated favorable terms directly with the seller, securing it at a highly competitive price.

No, ok, rule in your favor.

If this property is hard to rent, or is functionally obsolescent (only 1 bathroom, no yard, etc), or has deferred maintenance that will be costly, or is in a location that is not appealing to Tenants, then maybe a sale would be a good option in favor of a property that has better Tenant appeal, which will likely increase rent and avoid long vacancies in between Tenants.An option to consider....

Additionally, we have equity of approximately $145,000.Now, we are faced with a dilemma: should we sell our current property and purchase in a more favorable neighborhood, or should we rent the house and let it pay for itself.We would greatly appreciate any advice you may have.