Back before I retired, I didn't need any of the cash flow at all so all profit just rolled back into more properties.

Anywhere that one can buy properties for under $100k is very unlikely to have the rent increases that you will need over time to create positive cashflow, or the price appreciation that you will need to make this a profitable endeavor.

A mortgage lender can help determine if refinancing or tapping into equity might allow you to acquire additional properties.Consider a 1031 Exchange: If you're open to selling a current property, a 1031 exchange can defer capital gains taxes while enabling you to upgrade to a larger or more profitable asset.

And because it’s a logistics hub (FedEx HQ, major distribution centers, and growing industries), rental demand stays strong.I’ve been in Memphis my whole life and have spent over two decades helping investors navigate this market and build profitable rental portfolios here.

Offer aid and housing options if you're able -- don't try to profit. 

Rentals also build equity through tenant payments and appreciation, with profits taxed at lower long-term capital gains rates when sold.

@Ashly FrassoRenting by the room can be a profitable but complex model.

So now we cover utilities for both units and the new tenant pays a higher amount too on the back unit to cover all the utilities with a great profit.  

I'm not saying you can't make a decent return on rentals - I and many others here have done great with it - but if you have a well-functioning, profitable business that you know, why would you gamble money into Memphis *******es, to put it bluntly? 

Most lenders I work with would lend you 70%-75% of the value of the property, but only so much that your NOI/profit is 20%-25% of the monthly loan payment.