It is much more practical, less expensive to purchase, more profitable and easier to purchase multi-unit properties than single-family properties and I will argue and prove my statements, any day, should someone like to get into a serious debate vs. some one-like b.s. arguments.Buy 30 single-family properties, pay down the mortgage, retire and you will make a living and barely keep up with inflation..

I did a lot of research and interviews and decided to go with Rent to Retirement.

My goal is long term wealth, using cash flow to be able to retire.

How stable are they, what is the historical trend, and what are potential threats to future earnings?

The way I've narrowed it down is by:Gathering data from all 50 states (population growth, median income, crime, price-to-rent, etc.)Filter out states that have rent lawsFilter out blue states (not because of political beliefs but from my understanding they have less rules and regulation and I believe that in the current climate we're in with COVID and all people are going to flock to areas that don't have as much regulation)Highlight states that people retire in more than othersBecause of short-term rental becoming a trending way to invest, filter out states that impose regulation/rules against short-term rentals using platforms like Air BNB, etc.Also, using ZILLOW, I type in my parameters (homes under $125,000, sqft.

Real estate is a long-term investment that remains a stable and safe option.

Hi @Sean Conklin, generally sounds like the right idea to redeploy that idle equity if you have the time horizon (ie not retiring right now) and can handle the new financials after refi, heloc, etc.

@Misook FoleyYour profile indicates that you are a 'flipper'.A 401k might be a good strategy for you to lower your tax burden.Making a contribution to a retirement account may be a write-off for you.Furthermore, if you are involved in real estate 100%, you want to see if you are eligible to claim real estate professional status.Best of luck

Replacing what you earn/your lifestyle will take more time and effortFor me it was easy to replace minimum wage with rental income and flipping   My sister on the other hand, making probably around how much you make, proved impossible for her and she had to wait to retire until she was in her 60s    I, on the other hand was able to retire in my 40s because of a more modest lifestyle for you and most people the rental route is a long route.  

If you have a problem charging market rent, ask your wife if she is OK working an additional 5 years before she can retire so that you can charge your tenant well under market rent.