You've got the right idea, but your algebra could use a little work.You then do some marketing yourself on the property, find a buyer willing to pay $x + $z for the property and assign him the purchase option contract for $z - $x in consideration to you.

I'm not out to convince anyone that calculus, or even algebra and geometry, are necessities in the hotel business.

I'm pretty sure Algebra is a different language than English. 

The problem with finding deals, is every deal you find is found by so many other investors that by the time the smoke clears, it isn't a deal anymore.The goal is to find opportunities, and the skill you need is how to turn them into deals....and that comes down to math,...Geometry and Algebra.

This is where I have to laugh...and why I always say that the most important books every REI should be more than just familiar with, are Algebra...and especially Geometry.Your opening statement said "...appreciation is in fact a myth"...followed by two examples of appreciation, to prove it was a myth.   

Not just any math, but specifically Geometry and Algebra.

specifically Geometry and Algebra?

Here's where your 8th grade algebra comes into play.  

Go to the county sites, wade through all the crap, do the algebra, and figure out what the tax will be.

You can learn how to take advantage of advanced functionality as you need it, similar to adding another wing to the motel as the need arises.In business school, I learned the fundamental equation of cashflow management: BEGIN + PUT - TAKE = ENDBEGIN is your starting balance in your checking account every month.PUT is the amount of money you add to your checking account every month through deposits.TAKE is the amount of money you remove from you checking account every month through withdrawals.END is the ending balance in you checking account every month (and the BEGIN balance for next month).To follow your expenses without having to count every penny you spend (popular in the day when cash was used rather than plastic), simply apply some high school algebra: TAKE = BEGIN + PUT - ENDWe know our BEGIN and END numbers from our monthly statements and for wage earners, only have a couple of PUT numbers every month when our paychecks are deposited.