I'm self employed, but last year my duplexes took priority and earned me the distinction of meeting the IRS definition of a real estate professional.

Their are multiple tradeoffs for each positions, but the big ones are: Anti Registration: The rental stock will be more prone to having dangerous code violations, which in turn, on average will increase the rate of injury and death.

Like you said, it's all speculation and that's a dangerous game to play, especially with your children's inheritance.

An asset is appreciated to 185k  DSCR Loans should be a good option for you - while guidelines and offerings sometimes mirror conventional/fannie/freddie, most DSCR lenders have move toward having no distinction in pricing and eligibility for condo investment properties warrantable vs. non-warrantable

You thinking about it as "decreasing your living expenses" is a semantic distinction.

In Philadelphia, the distinction is between a single/multi family home versus a rooming house.

Go down the rabbit hole, fixate on it, and learn enough to be dangerous.

The first is the distinct possibility of being an out-of-state landlord (even with the frustrations of getting a good property manager).

An LLC or Corp is a whole new person in the eyes of the law, but the distinction is that it is not present PHYSICALLY.

Below are a few of the criteria.Metro area population greater than 1M.Both state and metro populations are increasing.Low crime - Do not invest in any city on Neighborhood Scouts’ list of the 100 most dangerous US cities.Low operating cost - High operating costs can turn what appears to be a profitable property into a money pitRent control - Never invest in any location with rent control.For more criteria and details, DM me for my free guide on selecting a dependable passive income location.Investment TeamThe critical factor for successful remote investing is a local investment team.