As prices increase, fewer people can afford to buy homes, forcing them to rent.

It is essentially the last town before the pass.Regarding what @Lisa Marie said, there are is a ton of good info in there but for your needs, you need to increase the cost to clean.

Some strategies to get around are:1. leverage your current portfolio and buy in cash, increase value, and then refi2. buy Multi-family so your ratios aren't the main factor to lenders3. get in with a lender for high net worth individuals4.

Not a huge increase in cash flow, but you're picking up another appreciating asset. 

If a tenant causes a claim, why should the landlord's insurance pay - possibly resulting in an increase in premium or even a cancellation of the policy?

As they see their money is safe and you're succeeding with your plans, they'll usually ask to increase the amount of money they loan to you.

If dipping into your emergency fund makes you uneasy, you might consider waiting a bit longer to build it up or look for ways to increase your cash flow on the current property.

They become renters, MASS increase of renters.

Additionally, the house is 25 years old and could use cosmetic updates to increase rental appeal.

With your income, you may qualify for an FHA loan with a smaller down payment, but buying now could limit your borrowing power and increase monthly payments.