My wife is about to go back to school so she will not be contributing income as well as she will be tacking on a lot more debt to her initial student loans.

Test and repeat on different areas. fill hole with caulk or epoxy filler.This should be last recourse diy prayer.If you have no choice but to tear out the shower wall, that will be another topic.If you have high water pressure (above 80psi), try reducing it to 60-70psi.

You don't need W2 income, tax returns and no one is looking at DTI.

They didn’t go as strict as they threatened, at least not yet…https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planni...2 properties maximum and the first one must be  your primary home… so be prepared to move there and pay state income taxes  https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/54610/6...you and your landlord will have to get this form notarized.Please just make sure you have a plan to keep making rent payments after your short term rental plans are banned.  

Because of Larson’s fixed Social Security income, he could not afford to pay the property taxes he owed, nor could he afford the cost of utilities in the home.    

- Reducing living expenses?

The person willing to run such a website for a reasonable fee, would have a large, steady source of income, and the lenders and borrowers would get what each of them wants. 

While appreciation is always a nice bonus, our primary objective is to build a portfolio that also yields reliable income over the long term.

Despite the property's substantial equity, the rising costs have put me in a challenging financial situation, as my monthly expenses now exceed the rental income.

That's about 14% of your annual income, not 25%.Is it wise to self-manage?