@Tom HallAt 7% if you can I would pay it down as investing it net after tax gains may not get you the 7% you are paying - so it’s less riskDownside is you lose liquidity of that money as it’s tied in your propertyIf rates come down in future you can refinance and even take some of the cash out.Regarding your question are rates coming down, a lot of factors come into play but right now it does not appear there will be significant changes to rates over next 3-6 months.

In my own journey, capital was always the limiting factor, so SFH's are just the default.

We do not factor in capital gains tax in our final net profit projection Hope that helps!  

What are your real estate and lifestyle goals over the next 5, 10, and 20 years?

If you can do short term, mid term, or rent by the room, your hassle factor is going to increase, but you may be able have it both ways - more property and still cash flow.There is no wrong answer.

Those that use PM's have pointed out that there is a cost factor of also having to manage your PM as well - following up behind them, making sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, etc.Hope it helps!

You are correct; I made an assumption that we wouldn't be able to sell through a realtor based on the factors against us.

What factors should I prioritize when choosing the best approach for my future success in real estate? 

A factor is whether the panel and electrical can handle the additional load.

See the chart from Fair Isaac Company (FICO) below: FICO Score Pct of Population Default Probability 800 or more 13.00% 1.00% 750-799 27.00% 1.00% 700-749 18.00% 4.40% 650-699 15.00% 8.90% 600-649 12.00% 15.80% 550-599 8.00% 22.50% 500-549 5.00% 28.40% Less than 499 2.00% 41.00% Source: Fair Isaac CompanyAccording to this chart, investors should use corresponding vacancy+tenant-nonperformance factors of approximately 5% for Class A rentals, 10% for Class B and 20% for Class C.To address Class C payment challenges, many industry "experts" are now selling programs to newbie investors about how Section 8 tenants are the cure.