Lender does not look at your income, just your FICO and they want to see rental income.

I own a home currently with a conventional loan.

You’re currently getting a 10% return PLUS appreciation.  

Incomes are having a hard time keeping up.  

And the final step, what will you do with your current home?  

The whole ecosystem (and trades) is valued at hundreds of billions, but most participants bought in at well below 1/10000th of current prices. 

These were financial mistakes we made when we were younger, and unfortunately, they snowballed over time.We currently rent but own a rental property out of state that cash flows $600/month and has about $190,000 in equity.

The two-family property now has better curb appeal and the rental units are much more desirable, which has helped me increase my rental income.

Congrats @Emily Pena - I'm also an agent (working mostly with investors), property manager and an investor myself (currently owning 26 rental units). 

You must work at least 750 hours per year in a qualified RE business.So most people who have high-earning W-2 jobs outside of real estate won't qualify.But the unique thing about RE pro status is that even if you don’t qualify but your spouse does, you can both file jointly and claim the losses from your RE investments to offset your other active income together.It's an incredibly powerful benefit if you do meet the criteria.