After a lot of evaluation, I believe BRRRR is our best option.

I ended the offer to rent to the tenant on December 1st and didn't receive any communication from LMHA until December 15th when they tried to schedule the inspection...that's 45 days to process a voucher.We had another home pass inspection on November 5th and we hadn't "stopped and waited" for LMHA because it had never been a major issue before so we let the tenant move in...LMHA announced on November 15th that the tenant voucher needed to be re-evaluated by LMHA and that the rent rate needed to be adjusted (The story was the "Administrator A" reviewed and approved it but since they had resigned, now we had to wait for "Administrator B" to do it.

I'd encourage you to evaluate the REIT first, then the DST second.

Are there specific factors or trends you would suggest evaluating to make a more informed decision?

Being in North Carolina gives you a great mix of in-state potential and easy access to nearby markets.As you connect with others, don’t hesitate to ask about any specific steps in wholesaling, flipping tips, or how to evaluate rental properties.

It could be hard to prove with outside agents (regular buyer agents) as they don't log their clients in on showings, only themselves as the agent.

In researching properties today, I found a number of examples in the seattle area where multiple separate buildings on one parcel are logged as "present use" with the total units.

I would also evaluate where you are at in life in regards to kids?

I would evaluate at least 5 properties if there are that many in the area.  

They will evaluate critical factors like land grades, water and sewer systems, and overall feasibility.