Do yourself the best favor, throw away notion of how do you build Rome with twigs, and go find the rock-stars and put them to work for you.

@Brian Plajer, and there in lies the notion of setting your desired return threshold, and sticking to it based on what you are comfortable.

First is this notion you keep perpetrating that "Contractors don't work for you!".

I disagree with the notion that theres no such thing as over-saturated markets, I think there are oversaturated or supersaturated markets and if you are a mediocre operator or have the wrong strategy you will not be successful in those markets.

But my comment was responding to to the notion that rent is "dead money" or that a mortgage would be "less" than rent. 

I'm trying not to come at this question with pre-conceived notions and just want to understand either why the numbers should always be the same OR get a better understanding of why these numbers can/should be based on the market and then try and get an understanding on how to go about figuring out what my numbers should be in my markets.     

Am I correct in my notion that three of you created an IRA LLC that holds all three plans?

My home town Milwaukee might be on the winning side: we have not really had much of a winter thus far: very little snow and temps mostly in the 40s.The reason why you see spring prices always higher than fall prices also has market psychological reasons - the market anticipates higher prices in spring and when buyers are confirming sellers notion, the price increase becomes reality.

Where does mixed use, both residential and commercial rental property fit within this notion of an enterprise?

I really disagree with the notion that a house hack has to break even to be worthwhile.If rent for a one-bedroom apartment on Long Island is $1500/month, but you can buy a duplex of one-bedrooms and live in one for a net cost of $500/month, you're saving yourself $1000/month.