It's fantastic that you're exploring opportunities at such a young age.

Hayden, congratulations on identifying real estate as your target vehicle to build your life around at such a young age. 

I have 2 dependents and will be the primary caregiver for both my parents and his parents as they age so we want to hustle now so we aren't stressed financially by these responsibilities in 10-15years and are able to maintain the standard of living we have achieved with income from our (now) primary business. 

There is no wrong way necessarily and every strategy will be dependent on your personal goals.At your age, I would imagine that cash flow is most important (versus focusing solely on appreciation).

We are, conservatively, about 10 years from retirement age.

I am also your age and getting in the game at this age is going to be awesome for your future.

I bought my first place when I was your age and it was to live in while I went to grad school and I rented out the other room in the condo.Talk to your bank and find out what is happening because what you said doesn't make sense for a regular mortgage. 

As I continue my W-2, I'm continually reminded of my goal to be financially free by age 45 (just over 7 years from now) and I'm more motivated to reach that goal so I can go into RE investing full time.

Sounds like you already know this, but I see it with new investors here in Colorado, coming in all hot, excited to retire by age 40 and then are crippled by that first step. 

Second, general maintenance and repair costs depend on the condition of the house, the age of the house, and who is hired to do the work.