Consider FHA loans, conventional loans, and alternative financing options.

.: There IS going to be a big impact on Real Estate, especially for Single Family and small Multi-Family that is Owner Occupied.The SALT Deductions are slated to expire at the end of 2025.Trump has already said that he will allow it to Expire:https://about.bgov.com/insights/elections/2025-tax-policy-cr...This is NOT a small change.The Standard Deduction gets reduced by about 40%.Then you get to deduct the SALT (State and Local Tax) that you paid PLUS up to $1 Million in Interest from your Mortgage against your Federal Tax Return.The only limiting factor will be AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax).In 2017 when this Cap was put into place, it made sense.However, now that the average Home sells for about Double what it was back in 2017, many normal Americans can benefit from the Expiration.I'm hoping that the Trump Administration does not extend the Cap.Too many people will love him more if he allows it to Expire!

I could alternatively put that down in a index fund for S&P that gets about 8-11%.  

Alternatively, you can offer more such as central air when the competition doesn't have it.Avoid areas with a lot of new rental deliveries.

I was just thinking, as a realtor, I will sometimes just drive through neighborhoods that I like and sometimes, I will see a Pods container or a moving truck, or people working - If I see that, I will normally go knock on the door and introduce myself to see if they are making a move or not.

Cons- depending on your personal financials, qualifying might be more challenging and the loan might not amortize over 30-years.Another alternative would be a business-purpose rehab loan (fix and flip/fix to rent).

If done right, potentially, I could get cash flow for current years that could continue and grow into retirement and be an alternative to trying to stack 1 million more dollars in the bank.

Here are my 2 cents (and probably some alternative options/strategies you might consider)...hope this helps. 

Alternatively, you could look into seller financing on the new property, which requires less upfront cash.

But if tenant stability and needing cash flow are higher priorities for you, then it may be worth re-evaluating or looking at alternative properties that offer more reliable cash flow from day one.