With your income, you may qualify for an FHA loan with a smaller down payment, but buying now could limit your borrowing power and increase monthly payments.

That does not require employment or job seasoning instead it uses the rents to qualify and you can take out up to 80% LTV cash.Use the cash to put down on the next 1-2 or more properties as long as the other properties are debt servicing themselves it opens up more opportuities to buy more future assets and increase your passice income.  

I don't know if I'm getting much appreciation on a duplex unless the rents are significantly increased.

Careful going outside state lines -- contract for deed is not allowed in Texas.I didn't think COD is illegal in Texas, just perhaps not recommended anymore, because it is difficult to comply with the rules or regulations. 

I just bought a lovely 8 unit last April that had been horribly neglected but have turned it around and done some cosmetic renovations and increased rents.

@John Perkins Help you find lenders that can increase your profitability on your projects and perhaps help you scale!

So your net earnings ( increase in wealth) is $650.  

It’s just going to slowing increase with inflation.  

I've heard of people doing this, but you need to be rehabbing it enough to make it higher value so ideally you need to be purchasing something that needs some rehab so that you can increase the equity because otherwise you're not gonna have enough equity to pull out

They had an unfinished space counted as finished space increasing the size of the home by ~10%.