Just looking for outside feedback and ideas. 

. - investing in other asset classes outside of real estate - I know some people put all of their investment into real estate, but I am a believer in diversification, so that your entire investment portfolio isn't at risk during any downturns. - keeping some cash reserves - downturns mean opportunities for smart investorsInvesting carries risk, as does not investing.

I'm a little local handyman landlord just outside of Pittsburgh with a tight little self-managed C-class portfolio, for instance.Here, in low-rent single family and small multifamily, the name of the game is finding that one good old building with strong fundamentals going for it out of ten other true moneypit crapshacks that are really ready for the bulldozer.You get nowhere here unless you screen like crazy and put the people you rent to under a microscope.

The two best sources of money outside of conventional financing are private lenders and hard money lenders.

They will try to offer this to you on the side, asking for agreements outside the lease. 

I would be surprised if $80k in income moved you outside of qualification. 

Can't say there was much difference outside of the fact that the financing was actually easier on MFH.

Also, are there good options outside this area that I should look at?

We did the same just outside the Smoky Mountains in 2012. 

We're located in MA, right outside of Boston.