Reducing rent sets a precedent and can attract price-sensitive tenants rather than those prioritizing quality.Negotiating renewal terms can make sense if tied to benefits like lease length or tenant stability, but always ensure it aligns with your long-term goals.

My husband and I live in San Antonio and have been investing in real estate for a couple years.

Jim your also describing one of the huge benefits of being a transactional RE Broker ..

The growth in San Antonio is moving north and the builder incentives will benefit a new investor like yourself.

Just suck it up in the short term and reap the benefits in the future.

I recommend finding a real estate and business accountant to help you with filing your taxes.Bigger Pockets is a great place to find a real estate tax accountant. 

It will familiarize you with the basic terminology and benefits.

What makes it slow in this case is that you don't really start seeing real cash flow until after year five but it's more effective than rentals in that there is little to no maintenance.Sure you can live in a home while fixing it up with the intention of selling it for a nice profit later but I think many people are already doing that and the buyers of slow flips now also have that opportunity without having to qualify with a bank.

Im a real estate investor living in New York and am interested in networking and investing in Portuguese real estate.  

Read "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene, then spend some time reading through the forums.