So Bernanke finally got to you did he? Well that’s a shame.
There is no best option except to stay nimble. RE is not nimble and while yes rates will rise at some point. I think your fears of imminent rate rises are premature. Meanwhile your cash is being destroyed, but at a slower pace than being an “investor” in any real estate.
You’d have to leave SD to find anything that might make sense as a rental. People gotta live somewhere but that doesn’t mean they have to live where you own rentals!