Income: Verified monthly income must be at least three times the rent (minimum $4,200 combined).

If you have some capital, income, and decent credit, buy a 4-5 bedroom house and rent bedrooms. 

It will be cheaper than our mortgage and our incomes will be increasing.

Real estate's "gross rent multiplier" is Wall Street's "sales to revenue",  "cap rate" is roughly "P/E ratio".When evaluating markets and investments I tend to start with GRM (or lazily the 1% rule), then attempt to return a cap rate based on assumptions about costs, then I work my way to multiple years of projections (assumptions about inflation, amortization, tax benefits, etc), and if I am partnering with one of my smart friends I have to pull up an IRR (internal rate of return).I also look at regional employment levels, median income to rent ratio in the zip code etc. 

I also agree, that income is not a protected class.

ya or older semi retired attorney might be a good fit.. low stress get paid.

Sterling,Each lender is different on how they calculate income and also what overlays they have that can cause a bad income calc. 

@Gregory SchwartzThere's nothing passive about passive real estate income.

Fortunately, he moved to FL after the sale, bought a mansion as his retirement home, and saved by the state's homestead laws.

The guy is meeting the rental criteria income wise.