From my perspective, you definitely need start managing debt differently. 

The more accounts you have, the messier it is from a lending perspective.

Not to mention, the property was probably mismanaged by an “out of continent” investor who just had a terrible experience losing Haiti during the Haitian revolution.From a real estate perspective, the Louisiana Purchase was a game-changer.

I am seeking perspective from the savvy note investors as well as established buy and hold (rental property) investors regarding the "best" strategy to grow net worth over time. 

If you are buying every year in the same metro area it can get problematic from a lender perspective. 

Depending on the current market conditions, I can lean more or less to any given quadrant and I'm not being held hostage by high interest rates, which, in a historical perspective, aren't actually that high.

I appreciate the transparency and for you putting things into perspective. 

Just thought I'd chime in from the agent perspective with a real-world example.  

I know some will warn against the commission, but my website is not bringing me deals right now, so giving him a piece of my profits isn't that big of a deal for me, if his efforts lead to those new opportunities.i had some of the same questions you had, and this forum has actually given me a better perspective on large company, vs freelancer, vs. trying to do it on my own.

Essentially, at least from what I see in the posts, it's for cyber security, advertising & marketing, legal protection, all kinds of software, insurance and taxes, etc.No matter from a broker's perspective or from a consumer's perspective, isn't this crazy?