From my perspective, this is usually a sign of one of 2 things: 1) a market in repair where banks are starting to loosen things because they feel more comfortable with stability in the market or 2) banks are desperate for more business/volume so they are underwriting risky loans to keep volume flowing.The timing of some of these coming back and the very slow roll outs right now feel like cautious optimism that the market is showing signs of stabilizing, and there has been a decent amount of positive tailwind data (for mortgages, not necessarily for the economy); between slight increases in unemployment and reported slight decreases in inflation. 

If you start increasing your days for tenant stays you will decrease your tenant pool.

Even conforming lending is decreasing risk appetite.

It can certainly supplement and even decrease the length of your W2 employment making retirement attainable at an earlier age but very difficult to replace.

My reading of the question was tax deed properties, but if they are just buying tax liens, then that will decrease the amount of capital needed for sure, as well as the total amount of risk.

You could possibly decrease your 401k savings (which would increase your taxable income), and shift this savings over to your brokerage account. 

Unfortunately there has been a significant increase in rental supply in those markets and rents have decreased materially from the time ODC acquired the properties. 

Seeing this everywhere, and rents are decreasing because people just can't afford the payments.

Windows are rarely opened due to the climate, and we have almost no flying insects in the desert.All monitoring-type devices, including Ring doorbells, alarms, cameras, etc.All trip hazards: larger loose rocks or bricks.Water conditioners and RO systems.Basically, if any item does not increase the rent or decrease the time to rent, we remove it.

With people in and out of the property but using it daily - not like an airbnb when 50% of the time the tenant doesn't touch the kitchen, this puts more wear on those items which can decrease time in between replacement.