The general consensus is that we overpaid for the property based on inflated rent rates and so we don't have any desirable exit strategy.

A desire and ability to share their knowledge4.

I could be different, but I actually desire a dumbed down roku TV (only) for the following reasons:1) it's all my kids know and understand. 

Maybe just keep doing what I'm doing until rates favorable and I have desire to reduce my w-2 hours.

Depending on the seller's situation and desire they may/may not be willing to negotiate this.

Split levels are not as desirable as other designs, but every house has a price that the market will pay.  

Reverse engineering from your desired income to today's steps, like calculating the number of properties to purchase each year, is a practical strategy.

However, I have no desire to compete with free.

Imagine the cash flow I could have if I desired (my cash flow is not great because I extract value regularly and because I prefer my return to be in tax free or tax deferred sources and cash flow you get taxed on yearly).Case Schiller used to (maybe still does) publish a residential market performance ranking since 2000.  

The second is a growing desire to manage risk through owning better-quality assets where unexpected capital expenses are less likely.