I’m on the deed, not the loan for the current house I live in here in GA. 

It seems ridiculous, but that's the world we live in now.

We live just outside of city limits and therefore Coconino county. 

If you're comfortable living where you are, equity in your current property or your savings rate would be the two other ways to get your next one which is going to be much slower.

Find a partner, find co-workers/friends/relatives you wouldn’t mind living with, find a property you can buy for less than your current rent.

I don't know your living situation but if your paying x,xxx for rent or a mortgage and instead by living in one side and renting out the other you will be paying y,yyy instead and y is less then x that's great, especially if you can rent out your primary residence and make income there too. 

FHA 203k wont work unless youre going to live in the property as your primary.

Ideally we would love to live in my childhood home.

Financial freedom isn't simply about replacing your current income, because inflation continuously drives up prices, making a fixed income insufficient to maintain your standard of living.

I specialize in creative rental investments such as STR & co-living.