If your annual household income is $50K you don't bear a huge burden, if it's $250K you won't like that margin tax rate on ordinary income (I'll skip the whole qualified dividend conversation to keep it simple).  

Did I Menton our household income is around 150k per year.

There are about 49 million households in the US who have a traditional IRA and there’s an additional 20.3 million people who have Roth IRA’s.

To take care of your household first.

Every measured level from Age, Income, to Household type have increased the Rental market share.2)It's a Supply and Demand Issue, both in SFR rentals and multi-family- 15 year incline.

We are currently renovating a 4-plex that we bought with cash and the stress level in our household is almost non-existent because we aren't leveraged.

She can loose her voucher if he moves in with her because it will change her household income.

How about if one or both of the people in the household has been laid off?

Have you considered finding a motivated seller property-FSBO-and lease it with an option to buy using your non real estate income stream-assuming you have one=to cover your lease payment & household expenses.

As far as DTI, do lenders focus solely on your household W-2 income to cover the thresholds these days, or do they allow for executed lease income to be included in that total figure, offsetting the debt?