Thoughts on investing in expensive places?

Currently my all in expenses including capex, maintenance, and lawn are 1870 a month.

They charge us in rent what they pay in expenses on it.

While you may make more in income if you go this route, you'll have more in expenses and time spent.

Despite what many people may lead you to believe, building up a real estate portfolio takes time and discipline--it doesn't just happen overnight and that goes for any market (no matter how inexpensive or expensive it might be). 

I second the advice on looking at inexpensive / lowed end granite.

My question is: with my current income, I could rapidly pay down a property using my own personal funds in a 2-3 year time frame.

I have someone who can put them together inexpensively, so they don't have to come assembled. 

Unless you want it vacant so you can rehab, in which case you might as well have it vacant during a time where you probably couldn't fill it anyway...you want it read to go, at market rent,  when the market for finding a tenant is hot.How big of a rehab and time frame to do the work?

Finding a property in Charlotte in that price range and being able to close in the correct timeframe may be difficult.