Having an industry that is unique to the area will drive many tourist and boost to the local economy.

Like anything else in order to draw influence you must add tons of value.

What weapons do they have to boost the economy if the rates have already been cut to zero?

., TV commercials, radio ads, motivated seller website, SEO, pay per click/adwords, facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and other forms of online advertising and boosted/promoted social media postings.Bottom line is consistency.

If this is the case, how much time would you need to follow this model for it to influence the DTI calculation?

That's a great way to make connections and to boost your confidence.

Have you exploited your sphere of influence?

The son seems to think that he should - but he might be influenced by the girlfriend. 

I fully expected it to rent for $1300/month post rehab which would have boosted the cash flow, however, being in the dead of winter right after Christmas limited the tenant pool and I decided to bring the rents down to help fill the vacancy rather than try to wait it out another possible 1-2 months. 

Also since my wife has a W2 job should I quick claim deed it to us jointly to boost our income level?