It was more money than we had in reserveMy pets now sees the vet for slight infections, get premium pet food (I have a fat cat that is on prescription pet food that would not be cheap compared to human food).  

Fat chance you're spending >$720 on replacements for a rental but that's just my opinion. 

Some real estate transactions are clean cut and they feel like walking in a park picking up a big fat check while other transactions are full of landmines require the knowledge and experience to navigate through the process.

Although the payments are higher and the fat is slimmer, I have a larger pot of equity to draw from after year one to leverage and get another property via HELOC.

I would effectively be loosing 10k since that is the principal I have paid down so far on my current loan after 1.8 years + the 10k down payment at closing.Or should I just plan to sell it in a couple years and use the profit for a fat down payment on my next house and also avoid taxes from selling my owner occupied home?

Soon enough I will have access to 100% of my salary as a real estate agent to deploy towards future assets, working my way towards "Fat FI" and greater time freedom in my 40s & beyond.Lessons learned?

As you say, the landlord is always perceived as the villain of the piece, a fat cat who does nothing more than sit back, rake in 'all the money' and count it.

We supposedly live in a new, enlightened era, where people are not judged on their name, their color, their creed, being bald, fat, etc.

Current market is trimming the fat, see it as an opportunity to eat market share. 

It's a super useful tool to help trim fat in a business.No matter what your business is or what you invest in, it's likely that 20% of your products/clients/properties/etc generate 80% of your revenue.