Check American Homes 4 Rent, how they engulfed thousands of properties and recently threw the towel cutting back 80%.

In other words, if you create a home for a mature, responsible adult (not an immature irresponsible party animal), the tenants will often follow your lead.Good luck out there!

But I don’t believe it is possible for average Americans standard of living to continue.  

There is less disposable income in many American households from inflation. 

Everything points to those zip codes being "undesirable" areas even though, I would not call them "hoods" like you may see in bigger cities, more like low-income, majority African American areas, some of those lots have been on the MLS for over 5 years, so very low demand.One thing about Alabama is that, there are huge variations from city to city- Montgomery is not a desirable city,  Birmingham is going through some gentrification where you have homes in the 20-30K and 200-300K ranges in the same zip code.

The other thing to keep in mind is most lender will understand if you start with a 4 family, then go buy a 2 family, since the SF with white picket fence is the “American dream”.

Short or late rents, as young adults will do, they move in with new spouses and friends, things happen during their time, fights and breakups.

Municipalities such as mine won't allow more than three unrelated adults to live in the same property.

(American Assocaition Private Lenders).

I don't want to babysit adults in a home I have an emotional attachment to.