My rationale is that, had I chosen not to move in to the first floor, I would need to purchase my own single family residence and pay a mortgage.  

We have chosen to push forward, and our locations have gotten larger with each addition. 

You would be gambling that rents and home prices will go up enough to make this a good deal. 

If you’re putting in offers without running your numbers you’re gambling.

“Competitive advantage” is closely tied to local market knowledge.Research, investigate, and visit several markets.Pick one or two and then become experts in the chosen markets.That’s how one can gain an edge.

dont you love appreciation ( oh wait on BP its gambling and who in their right mind would invest for that :)  )

The people that are going to get crushed are people that buy assets that have negative cash flow and are speculating/gambling on appreciation.

That is speculation and gambling. 

We have chosen 5+ units as it seems it will be easier to secure financing as the asset will qualify itself, rather than our income/credit score having to be used to qualify (which cross border lenders will probably consider risky as we have no financial footprint in the US yet).

@Alyssa Jones Your story is your story and Im not here to comment or judge on what you have chosen/not chosen to do.