Right now, your retirement plan most likely has minimal choices to invest in (some stock funds, bonds, ETFs if you are lucky) so you are rather limited in choosing an investment vehicle that will help you reach your goals.From first hand experience, I can tell you that getting a solo 401k was rather easy and I have checks that I write to pay for properties free and clear or to put a down payment if I want to get a loan.

So if your rent is less than a mortgage payment + monthly property taxes + homeowner's insurance and PMI (if applicable), you might actually be increasing your purchasing power by renting!

You will learn how they review applications, what their leases look like, how to handle tenants, landlord tenant law, how they handle repairs, what software they use. 

You can collect applications but don't do the paid services like credit and background checks until you own the property. 

Looks like it’s close to 2% but be careful and KNOW what your expenses are...... like others have said rent will stay low in that area and will limit your potential for “appreciation”.

Another way to learn from a GP is to become a limited partner and invest in a syndication.  

The difference in premium is negligible and the limits of coverage are better for the quote with the DP3.  

This is especially true if the lender initiates contact with you via email/online and is offering a too-good-to-be-true interest rate and asks you to wire them money for an application fee, origination fee, or some other fee.  

I definitely would have declined an application with that many tenants, but now they are accepting a rent increase which is pure profit on top of an already cash flowing property.

But total debt load on primary residence would be limited to double your annual income (guideline from Millionaire Next Door).