@Serge Hounkponou Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

My brother in law told me a few years ago that I was the luckiest sob he had ever known but it took me 33 years of living below my means and working hard to buy enough rentals to retire with the same standard of living that we were used to.

The problem is, that's not proper accounting because a credit card is a liability, and doing this workaround will reduce your assets rather than increase your liabilities, which totally messes up your balance sheet and debt-to-income ratios.  

Tools like this helped us determine that retiring in the Memphis Metro area was good for us and has helped form our investing strategy, mainly SFR and some commercial spaces (flex, studios, small office).

One other thing that people in their 60s can consider is - if you are planning on taking Social Security and making passive income part of what you live on, rental income may not count as income against your Social Security benefits.

If investing in real estate was easy, everyone would have passive income.

This is all depending on your credit and income meeting the guidelines of course.

While I do not have an official W-2 currently, I do have a steady income, great credit, and have money saved as well from working since I was 13 years old.I relate to Ian Kay in his journey but also am very determined to make my goals/dreams a reality this year by July 2025.

Given your situation, a property closer to Nashville might be more advantageous for short-term rentals like Airbnb, as proximity to a popular city typically attracts more guests and higher rental income.

These properties appeal to students and low-income renters, especially if traditional housing is limited.