This trend is expected to persist, driven by Birmingham's affordability and favorable living conditions.

I live in one and rent the other for $400 cash flow.

I didn't dismiss the idea of looking into getting into wholesaling, but you have to deal with earnest money deposits and they are super expensive.

There are some exceptions as to when you can get away with a single stair (full explanation below) but you'll see it is not easy to do.I actually used to live in/rent a third story attic space with a single stair, and as a tenant I thought it was fine.

There is a lot of turnover but we are clearing roughly $1,000 per month above expenses on average.

As a first-time house hacker you want to maximize your revenue and minimize your living space to make the most.Also, there are 2+1 units which are 2 legal units and a 3rd boarder unit (either in the basement or the attic).

I will not be living in this home.My thoughts;Put myself on the title now, then wait the seasoning period.

Our low cost living, weather and current interest rates make for a very interesting investment in the area or in Florida in general. 

HOWEVER, my question is: given our goals/strategy, when analyzing returns for potential deals on the single-family rentals, along with a relatively low cash-on-cash return of roughly 1-2% should we allow ourselves to consider/count on 1) modest appreciation growth of only 3% year over year, 2) expense increases mirroring the current CPI of 3.5% and 3) low rental upside of only 1% (or even 0% given current market conditions).For example, if a deal gives a TOTAL return of roughly 15% year over year for 10 years but only starts out at about 1% cash flow via long-term rents, is this a good idea?

Conclude with: The wonderful neighborhood in which you chose to live has many longtime vigilant residents who do not want their way of life to change.