*I have a high level of ambition and drive and will do what it takes to make this dream happen. 

For many who might not necessarily be "looking" for more work they might not be investing in any kind of marketing and word of mouth is going to be the best way to find them.But 100% agree with @Corby Goade on this one, treat them like kings and queens because they are DEFINITELY worth their weight in gold. 

I will take a steo back from trying to get her to understand the financials and just get her dreaming about a nice new home for the summer.

Option 1: invest money Option 2: STR with Cost Seg Investment income on $1.2 M W2 income 25% tax on Income Money in the bank Value of my time Net Income on $1.2M STR $1M Bonus Depreciation W2 income 25% tax on income Money in the bank Value of my time ($100*200 hrs) REAL NET PROFIT Year 1 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 -$300,000 $250,000 $0 $300,000 ($20,000) $280,000 Year 2 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 -$300,000 $250,000 $0 $300,000 ($20,000) $280,000 Year 3 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 -$300,000 $250,000 $0 $300,000 ($20,000) $280,000 Year 4 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 -$100,000 $250,000 $50,000 $250,000 ($20,000) $230,000 Year 5 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 Year 6 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 Year 7 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 Year 8 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 Year 9 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 Year 10 $90,000 $250,000 $85,000 $255,000 0 $50,000 $0 $250,000 $75,000 $225,000 $225,000 TOTAL $2,550,000 $2,420,000  In the immortal words of Tom Hardy in Inception, "you mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling".You have a good understanding of things, but you're missing the ways it can be leveraged.Bonus depreciation works best when you have one high earning spouse and one non-working spouse. 

If a seller won't pay, the likelihood of a buyer walking away from their dream home merely because an agent can't be paid is slim.

Investing in real estate is truly my dream, but I have chosen to sacrifice/postpone my dream, so she can get hers.

I'll also guess 90% of the heat and air is a window unit or something not really tied into the main house.One thing I would also say is as best you can divorce the idea of an owner/occupied dream house from an investment property.   

I wouldn't wait 5 years to go after your dream....time flies by way too fast.

I don't know about you, but in 30 years I'd rather be sitting on a million-dollar asset that I own free and clear (because someone else paid it off for me) that is generating multiple, multiple times the rent I was collecting when I first acquired it and in which I can fill a vacancy with a qualified tenant within two weeks because the area is so desirable that it can't keep up with housing demand than on some boondocks asset that I only purchased because it was the cheapest thing around and "cash flowed" $200 per month on paper but barely appreciated over the years and whose rent appreciation has marginally kept up with inflation and takes me three months to fill a vacancy with a "qualified" tenant who even then might get behind on rent because his hours were cut at the gas station 30 miles away (true story; my tenant worked at a gas station in Boron--only job he could find).Personally, I'm keeping my 4-unit in Santa Clarita and investing in development deals and notes until an incredible off-market deal lands in my lap (keep dreaming, Logan) or the SoCal market cools.  

Dreaming...