If you’re looking for a single-family home under $200,000 and you don’t care what city or county it’s in and you simply wanted to meet the 1% percent rule, you might be able to find that.

I simply asked but how many qualify for a house around the median price point(this was for Raleigh, NC), he responded oh maybe 10-15% of the new applicants.

Second, when Boomers lose their jobs, they often simply retire, and they are an enormous generation

They simply dont understand the culture of the rental class in the mid west the LIfe long renter..  

Depending on the neighborhood, there simply might not be a lot of demand but I would not get discouraged.

If you are near the end of your journey and simply looking for stability and low overhead then I could see paying off mortgages, however that is not the most adventegous from a wealth building perspective. 

The area is growing like crazy and there simply is not enough housing.

No risk, just reward—whether for personal deals, joint ventures, or simply passing along awesome prospects to each other, I’m always actively prospecting for new deals and sharing them with my network.Let’s collaborate, learn, and grow together!

Do you go direct-to-seller to find your deals or do you simply purchase from the MLS or wholesellers?

Assuming you meet real estate professional status (which it seems like you do - you'll just want to have a time log verifying) AND materially participate in your rentals, you simply wouldn't get that big of a year one benefit.