Hi Ethan, I would not entertain the idea of getting more money from this tenant in order to potentially increase your cash flow. 

I’d dig into this a bit more.Another assumption that stood out to me as potentially problematic is the 6% income growth and only 3% expense growth.

And since you are licensed, you can potentially do some sales on the side to increase income and save up for investing.

Would it make more sense to move the money we make from selling to a different property that could potentially increase our cash flow? 

Experienced investors typically value properties like yours by analyzing cap rates, cash-on-cash returns, and income growth potential.

My main question is whether it makes more sense to go the seller financing route and pay off the principal in 8–10 years or stick with a standard 30-year loan.My thinking is that the tax deductions from a mortgage wouldn’t outweigh the potential equity I could gain over those 8–10 years.

Pick one with value add potential.  

Explore Potential Funding OptionsPrivate Money Lenders (PMLs): Reach out to private individuals looking to invest in real estate.

Our vision was ambitious, and we were optimistic about the potential returns.

Then do a thorough research on tenant applicants (note: leaving this to a PM may be hazardous to your financial health) and choose the one that is most “stable” with the best potential for long term tenancy.This advice is contrary to maximization of rental income, but IMO will reduce expenses of tenant turnover, property damage, property management fees so much that the difference in bottom line income will be quite small.