So I am intending to get invested in real estate, but my end goal is not to "quit my 9-5" like I see so many people striving to do.

There can be a terrible complex with "bad tenants" but around the corner in the same neighborhood their can be pretty good units with great people who is striving to do the best they can to survive.

Or, they strive to make a black mark on the renters history no matter how little the breach is.

It's also kept me going striving for my goals.

Many days where I was so tired that I didn’t want to move, but as long as we kept our goals in mind we kept striving forward.

The small space retail is striving quite well.

As a 25 year old professional in the city, all I know is that I love it here, my like-minded friends love it here, and a huge percentage of recent grads from any Big 10 school strive to end up here. 

They are the reason why I continue to strive for betterI hope that I haven't duplicated my post.

There is nothing wrong with striving to be a better landlord.

I love the strive that you have, I had the same strive and set the same goals as you and I ended up in a better place because of it.