While each market - real estate and stock - has it's own risk/return profile, the comfort of owning a cash-flowing hard asset becomes more and more appealing when the stock market gets choppy. 

It also stays off of your personal credit/DTI which will help you as you live your life outside of these properties.Those will be a specific set of lenders that you will want to look into as many of them have different requirements that you would have to adhere to, but overall much more of a simpler process than your conventional lenders, while being a couple of points higher in processing. 

Usually these investors are looking to do live in flip as their primary residence.

Hello:I got a quote for converting a 16x10 living room into a bedroom.

If you use the search function, there are a number of threads on this.Pros-you can rent by the room and make more moneyCons-students are often less experienced at living on their own and may do things that result in repairs (eg wrong soap in dishwasher), higher turnover, more calls to deal with things, higher chance of parties.If you do it, you may want to get a cleaner in once a week to clean common areas (students clean their own rooms and keep the place tidy, wash their own dishes) and you will need to get someone in to take care of the yard.

To me, this would have never been the conversation a few years ago when rates were more comfortable for the average investor (likely 5% and below), but it is the reality we are in now!

Part of your rent payments can go towards the down payment, allowing you to build up the necessary funds over time while living in the property.

This is because we are all living in simulationNothing is real.

I don’t plan on living in Philadelphia long-term but probably will for at least the next year.

We all live and learn.