I've always found it interesting as a young kid how people could own more than one house when houses are so expensive.

Doing a cash-out refinance of a rental property doesn't make the interest on that loan deductible as an expense for the rental, which I think is what you were hoping to do. 

Their rent covers about 2/3 of our monthly expenses.

I have to show that I duplicate my housing expenses.

- My Lender suggests I live in the home for a year or so to benefit from the lower interest.

Even if you have money for the 20% down, it's not wise to spend your last dime making that down payment and leaving yourself vulnerable to losses from a bad tenant or maintenance costs.If you want to be a successful investor, increase your earnings, reduce your expenses, save up, and buy wisely. 

Our difference is we "blend technology with a handshake" - we leverage technology to deliver lower rates than our competitors, BUT we don't compromise on expertise and personal touch.

In the grand scheme of things, yes, you should eventually replace the windows so 1) They operate properly. 2) It doesn't turn away potential tenants or cause maintenance hassles when a new one moves in.3) Tenants have proper egress in case of an emergency (like fire).Now, windows are expensive, so you'll have to decide how much you're willing to spend, based on how much income the property is bringing in.

I’m also curious about the actual profits you've realized from property ownership after accounting for all expenses.To streamline this, I’m considering using a simple Google Sheet where managers can list all expenses.

**Lower Initial Prices:** Buying early often means securing a unit at a lower price compared to completed properties.