Definitely stretching my operational capacity little by little sounds like a conservative and reasonable approach to growing the scope of my business. 

I was able to stretch my funds and buy it in cash.

Take a single, don't try to stretch it for a double or triple when you aren't that fast.

With your $50k to invest (and access to more), you could quickly scale your portfolio without stretching yourself too thin financially.Memphis also has a steady rental market, which is driven by factors like population growth, job opportunities, and a strong economy.

The fault is you tried to stretch a "solution" that has an expiration date of seller joy, into an eternity.

Instead, prioritize strategies that stretch your resources as far as possible while building experience and momentum.

Well, expect timelines to stretch for sure. 

@Gregory Schwartz rates are above 7% now, so not a stretch to see them staying in a 6.5% to 7% range next year.

More specifically, we both come across tens of thousands of dollars within the same 3 month stretches due to what we do for work. 

Yes, out of my mentioned cities, Dallas seems to be a bit of a stretch for my budget.