You need to compare apples to apples.Mike

Anyone who is crazy high or crazy low compared to the others needs to be looked at carefully. 

Quit comparing yourself. 

These are examples of how you could still be comparing apples to oranges focusing on safety and cash flow alone.

@Ben Berg with renting rates, roommates or a straight rental, you always look at comps, or comparable homes.

However, I believe the hypocrisy comes in when you look at what the actions of the presenters are compared to what they are presenting - does their walk match their talk.

How are you comparing the cost of a new build to one with an existing duplex?

The city's appreciation, vacancy rate, cap rates are truly unparalleled when compared to the other markets you’ve mentioned.

To what extent does landscaping typically add value to a property for the purposes of appraisal and re-financing, compared to other improvements? 

Yes, the credit utilization ratio does impact your scores (see below) but, if you're out of debt & not using your credit cards, you may not see a hit to your scores.Amounts Owed (30%): Represents your credit utilization or how much debt you owe compared to your credit limits.