For the record, I have an ownership interest in ARS but I am not the person deciding on accepting or declining new accounts.

Of course, nobody knows if my area has stabilize or if it will continue to decline, but I do want to preserve what equity I have and be ready to purchase in the near future.I am trying to make a healthy decision so weighing out all my options has been weighing heavily on my mind, so thank you for your insight.

It is impossible to say yay or nay without the details of the situation, but an experienced investor knows what to do, including gathering the critical information even before setting up the deal, or declining it.The limiting effect on credit is temporary, it may turn into a benefit further down the road (around 12 months or so, depending on the lender), so it's about if it's needed and when.

(Wikipedia)According to the Census Bureau, the population of Baltimore has declined by 6.3% between 2010 and 2020.

:(Reminds me a bit of that scene in Top Gun: "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash" Some thoughts:- cash flow can decline and go negative.  

After they get all the contracts on the 10th day, they decline them all and ask for highest and best offer. 

If the tenant declines and says they will bring their own, there are no hard feelings.  

Here Is our scenario:We live in Southern California in a historical home (almost zero property tax) and very well protected neighborhood from any decline in value.

A decline in Austin is going to cause a decline in every commuting suburb.Belton is a good suggestion.

You can also decline their request; it's quite commonly done.