For me the real return comes from depreciation and saving on taxes.

If it's someplace like the laundry room in a single-story house on a slab, the pan may not be required by code, but the pan directing a leak to a floor drain might save the nearby carpet/flooring some day.  

Maybe checking out local networking events or online forums could help you connect with potential lenders.

And it's an online bid type of auction.

I would probably continue to save so you can increase your budget

Also, local real estate agencies sometimes have rental listings not advertised online.

To earn passive income through REITs, investors can purchase shares through a broker or online investment platform.3.CrowdfundingCrowdfunding platforms allow investors to pool their money with others to invest in real estate projects, typically with lower investment minimums than traditional real estate investments.

so if you would pay $1600 in rent, but you could buy a duplex, and your mortgage is $2000, but you collect $800 in rent.definitely house hack - you're building equity AND saving money in this scenario.  

While looking for a property you could put it in a high-yield savings account that gets you 3 to 4% so that it's not sitting stagnant losing value due to inflation.

I was skeptical at first but a number of people do take us up on it and it saves a lot of money.