Moral of the story, most of the big banks have overlays, and not every Loan Officer is created equal.  

If I fire them, I will also be going after them legally- like a mad dog -  and am looking for equally aggressive legal help.

If I leave a ton of equity in my primary residence, that money is earning a yield equal to the ~3% or 4% APR mortgage.

I recently listened to a podcast wherein an out of state investor referenced google maps in order to judge the vitality of a given neighborhood, but I have qualms with putting my (and my partner's) money behind a virtual litmus test of a neighborhood.

” (35 ILCS 200/15-175) The amount of exemption is the increase in the current year’s equalized assessed value (EAV), above the 1977 EAV, up to a maximum of $7,000 in Cook County and $6,000 in all other counties.Our scenario is my mother and step dad live in a SFR of ours and their rent is solely based on the total costs of the property (mortgage, insurance, and property taxes).

That would be equal to adding 6 nfl football teams.

Will,In Alabama, you must have a cashiers check equal to or greater than the total purchase price IN HAND when you go to the courthouse.

Am I missing anything vital?

Also I think if I compare equal amounts of hard work at my job vs. running a real estate investment business, I will make more in the latter.

You normally want to sell a property that is at a loss during years of higher tax rates.You normally want to sell a property at a gain during years of lower tax rates.With all else being equal - 2018 tax rates were lower than they were in 2017.