My recommendation would be different if you were a high-income earner or if you wanted steady equity growth.

@Yael DoronIf you're working with a $150,000 budget and aiming for high ROI through rental income, consider nearby areas around Phoenix that still offer affordability and growth potential.

Hello, We have a triplex in a lower-income neighborhood in the Tampa Bay area.

Gifting equity in a house may be more trouble than it is worth if you are not near the life-time exclusion1) Potentially having to get the property appraised everytime an equity is gifted2) Having a title company update the title every time3) Exemption of the gift tax return is normally for cash gifts below the annual gift tax exclusion, you may still need to file if you gift non-cash4) If there is partial ownership over several years, having to properly pro-rate certain items such as real estate taxes, mortgage interest and rental income if the property is a rentalBest of luck 

Other KPIs and considerations you should evaluate when talking to any lender who offered private placement of loans/notes are historic default rate, how quickly they can place your funds (do you get preference over their income funds, for example), average interest rate - borrower note rate and what is passed through to you, are loans serviced by a 3rd party servicer or in house.

This can put a significant strain on your finances and cash flowThey also often require a large down payment themselves and may have a strict repayment schedule that can be difficult to meet, especially if there are unforeseen circumstances or delays in renting the property or generating income from itIn addition, relying on this type of loan may expose you to higher financial stress and the possibility of default if you are unable to meet your loan obligationsThe final decision depends on your overall financial situation, risk tolerance, and your ability to manage the associated costs and obligations

Due to the university there I worked with a lot of incoming families and getting what they needed for their dorms.  

Use tools like AirDNA or Mashvisor to provide market data on projected rental income and occupancy rates, and make sure your lender works with appraisers familiar with short-term rentals.

@Alec Barnes we use Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI) instead of income = 3x rent.Reason?

Akron is a very blue city and are not very landlord friendly - source of income protections, etc...