Some do well just reading a book, some with webinars and such, while others (such as myself) do better in a classroom/interactive/hands-on environment.

It sounds like you were able to put together a solid environment and lay some ground rules up front. 

You want to reduce your housing expenses as much as possible and not necessarily get cash flow since it is very difficult in this environment.

The current environment could be the last window for capitalizing on "panicking buyers" before the market dynamics shift.

Due to the environment with projected rising interest rates, does it make sense to do a HELOC or outright refinance my current mortgage?

Building wealth and tax advantage plans is easier than in most tax environments.

Buying = long term value, leasing or PPAs = immediate cash flow savings while going green and helping the environment. 

New builds might be able to bring in a bit more in rental income but it is often not enough to offset the higher price you would buy for a new property, especially in the current high interest rate environment.

@Todd Dexheimer I was out of line and I apologize...I should not have attacked the post...this is supposed to be a positive environment.

You will receive a higher rate of return as compared to Columbus and Cincinnati due to the higher risk environment of all the factors: economics, employment, government, supply/demand, repair costs, and ease of leveraging.