In 2024 I can't do roofs anymore for 8k, so adjusting for inflation the 60k is probably going to be more like 80k.So how do you make this work long term?

There also many unknowns like the actual inflation rate, an estimate is necessary. 

This requires an income that rises faster than inflation, or you will not have the additional dollars you will need to pay future inflated prices.What causes rents (and prices) to increase?

Inflation is hitting us hard too.

You can find properties in the price you indicated but they have historically appreciated less than inflation, they may attract poor tenants, they likely will have poor rent growth    Or house hack local market and need at low as 3.5% but easier at 5%.  

You would do better in 30-day t-bills (right now ;-)The hopes an investor might have (if you purchased a property like this) are: 1) inflation to drive rents up, 2) inflation to drive property appreciation, and 3) mortgage rates to drop to refi at a lower rate in a few years.A lot depends on what someone thinks about the longer-term prospects of neighborhood they're investing in.

The primary question is, since inflation is eating away your money, how do you put it to use and hedge?

- Current income- Hope of price appreciation- Vacation home to go to- Future retirement home- Store of value/hedge against inflation- Generational gift to the family- Alternative to traditional retirement investmentsI'll go first. 

The area has seen above inflation rates of appreciation for the last three years, and there is significantly more demand for housing than there is supply, leading some companies to create their own housing for their employees.

This is because the Schedule E is obtained independently, and few people would inflate their rental income in that form (and pay more taxes than they should).