I battle with this myself, so I sympathize with your wife.

As long as you have your core 4 in place then it really doesn't matter where you invest (within reason) because most of the battle is putting the team together.

I’m in a constant battle with staying in state or going out of state, due to a multitude of variables (e.g. minimal experience, missing pieces to the core four, etc).

Good luck, I bet by Thanksgiving this will all just be a fun battle story. 

@Quintin Smith this is a question that I battle with myself whether to get an investment home or  home to live in.

I expect the same outcome that has always happened at every iteration, the corrupt and elite class will find considerable gains, the lower class will seemingly reap rewards and it will only cost their complete surrender unto the enslavement existence, and the middle class will be slaughtered and battle on.

I want to bite the bullet and just jack up the rent but I battle with the ethics dilemma since it’s a family of 4.

That is going to be a huge uphill battle. 

Pick your battles : ) 

We have had a brutal battle with a tenant who hasn't paid in 2 years.