You're right that it's getting tougher to find solid cash-flowing properties ($600 or more) in Grand Rapids, but the appreciation potential of a single-family home or duplex in Grand Rapids would be much better than that of a mobile home.

But, I am not willing to commit to 50 years (if I am lucky) of never harvesting material equity from my rental properties at this time so that she can inherit potentially millions or tens of millions of 2074 dollars at stepped up basis.I plan to pay the tax man and spend some of my money at some point.

After you purchase your first property, I would use some of your savings to do a BRRRR or a flip and potentially a rental as well.

@Allan C. is correct in using your high income to quickly get your seed money.Target appreciation: Look for properties in up-and-coming markets or those with potential for renovation to increase their value.

It has a strong potential for cash flow.

So now I'm faced with the potential of loosing EVERYTHING job, house, car, wife...Finally I stopped focusing on what was wrong and focused on the solutions. 

In that case you should get an attorney involved as encroachment would be a material issue that if known should have been disclosed both to the broker and to any potential buyer.  

Also, ask your agent for recommendations—they often have relationships with dependable contractors.Look for areas with a mix of affordability and growth potential.

If it's a long-term play, the potential savings on PMI with a conventional loan could be significant.Have you compared rates for both options?

I’d recommend keeping the funds separate for each property to avoid any potential co-mingling issues.