Indianapolis and its surrounding suburbs offer affordable property prices, a growing job market, and a steady influx of renters.

Our highest rent increase was in Libertyville, where we own a condo.Even our CHA/section 8 rent rentals allowed us to increase our rents about $75.I also have an AirBnb in the Logan Square area...to be honest, it's really just been steady and consistent. 

Real estate offers tangible assets that can appreciate and cash flow, but your IT business could also have growth potential, especially if you find the right help.Considering a Hybrid Approach:Since you’ve got strong systems in place for your online store and rentals, perhaps a hybrid approach might work—slowly transitioning more time into real estate while maintaining a steady presence in your IT business.

They do not want to work from home every day, but also do not want to make the long commute to the office.Thus, it seems to me that there is good reason to believe that small office spaces, including for small local/regional firms, services firms, and co-working spaces near large suburbs will see a steady increase in demand with little net new supply for the next several years. 

I live and invest in a classic "cash flow markets" (which has seen 8 years of steady appreciation and is hyper competitive and has very little inventory), and I would not feel comfortable to promise you quick and easy cash flow, certainly not within the time limitations of a 1031. 

I wanted to get a temperature feel from the SFR investors out in the Racine and Kenosha markets.

Good luck in your journey . . . remember slow and steady wins the race and the ones making teh money with many of the courses being hawked are the ones selling the courses (we can attest to that as we made that mistake initially ourselves).

I decided at the beginning I only wanted to rent to people who were gainfully employed (or students that had gainfully employed parents), had no criminal record, decent credit scores, no charge offs or bankruptcies, steady & stable job history, and the like.

Long-term rentals offer steady income and growth, but can be challenging due to tenant management and market risks.

I would like a non-QM loan and can provide bank statements from my current property showing steady income.