The best you can probably hope for is to find a diversified set of investments that will outpace inflation or to settle on some real assets you think will do favorably according to your crystal ball. 

Making it easier to qualify and right now rates are favorably low! 

Might be worth waiting a bit longer until i'm able to pick up something in philly, if the the other factors favor it. 

MTM favors the LL, tenant misbehaves, you can give them a 30 day notice of non renewal.

When simply offering full price with a $10k credit at closing sounds more favorable.

Price to rent ratios rarely meet the 1% rule and Property Taxes and PMI's eat away at monthly cash flow, so have any of you found neighborhoods with favorable numbers in these categories? 

@Andrea AguilarShort term rentals should do well in the near future as travelers will probably favor the privacy of a home vs sharing amenities and common spaces with other guests.

Hopefully it works out in your favor and not only do you save money each month but you gain much more equity in the process!

When Title is held by a legal entity, then the loans must be commercial which are more expensive and usually not as favorable terms. 

always look for a value add especially when it involves an easy path to a favorable zoning ruling Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?