I think if the industry as a whole was a little more honest with it self and with market participants you might not have as many waiting for something that is not likely to happen in the short term. if you need a house, you need a house. but, if you think something will change in 6 months you might be able to hold on, but if it likely will not change in the near term you might just bite the bullet and buy. 

We pivoted to self-storage a few years ago.

I purchased a larger Self-Storage/Office property in FL where the son's of the original owner wanted bright shiny new office building, not Dad's old junk. 

With management or attempting OOS self-managing? 

If they do not qualify because of poor credit or income issues compared to being self employed etc there are differences - but typically people don’t qualify due to poor credit and people will seller finance to these borrowers thinking they woke up at a holiday inn and got a finance degree when in reality they repeat their past mistakesRemember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result

While I don’t suggest that the smaller type investor purchase and utilize “exotic” vehicles like foreign asset protection trusts, family limited partnerships with outside controls, or Byzantine or convoluted maze of ownership entities, the more simple strategies of using Series LLCs, self directed retirement plans, and paying off their home mortgage to the extent of the Federal BK homestead exemptions can insure that a plaintiff attorney never even considers going after them.  

Your landlord is both not too swift, and is also self-managing a $3000+/month rental.

Years ago, my elderly neighbor expressed his concern to me about our trees leaning towards his home and that he wasn't trying to be a pain. 

I am going to continue educating my self while I get enough for the DP and other expenses.

Now I own and self manage 29 SFR and find it to be easy.