say you find a solid property in a low cost market for $200K and you buy it.between down payment, closing costs, rent ready / spruce up costs, and lease-up costs, you're probably going to need at least 50-65K in cash. 

Harder to cash flow due to 25yr am vs 30yr standard.

IF you plan on going back someday, and this is the home you want to move back to, then renting it would be a good idea as long as you estimate that it will cover itself, or preferably, cash flow, which it appears that yours will at @ $2K or so per month (after expenses). 

I borrowed $30k on a personal loan from Discover for 15% with no fees for a plot of land and paid "cash" for it.

I bought this home in 2013 and also did a cash out refi during COVID so buy interest rate is 3.875%.

I just don't think you can expect a property to cash flow when you're putting 3.5% down.

While they generally have higher market Cap Rates than Class A properties, it is still variable whether they will have good cash flow or be an appreciation play.Class C Property:Continuing down the scale, Class C properties are generally 20 to 30 years old, and pull in blue-collar and moderate-to-lower income tenants who will generally be renters for life.

My first reaction to your post is if you're purchasing assets that are throwing off positive cash but your DTI is going up then it may be time to re-evaluate the type of assets or the expenses associated with those assets.  2.

I suggest you buy fewer but better properties for better cash flow and appreciation. 

Many judges would feel you got paid even if no cash was sent to you.I could see this potentially working on a higher-end property that it in excellent condition with a Grade A tenant.