With renovations that have been done to the house, I'm confident that I'm sitting on the border of 20% equity.

Don't get me wrong; there are plenty of issues/problems/quirks that old houses have that new houses don't, and an old house can obviously have hidden problems and big repair/maintenance bills too--which is why thorough due diligence is fundamental to REI...but, the point is: a brand new house is not a foolproof solution to repairs/maintenance headaches (and in some cases, a brand new house can be a much bigger gamble than an older house).This is a particularly important lesson for inexperienced investors, who tend to be the most prone to "shiny object syndrome" (the tendency to let nice aesthetics distract from real, underlying issues).

Go to HOUZZ and look at gravel driveways in New England-they have it down and many use a granite atone or paver border-This is best and aesthetically pleasing.But, if you want budget friendly, there is a cheap fix.

For example Logan Square borders Hermosa. 

I work right at the border of Plano/Frisco, which the area has grown exponentially the last few years, making the housing prices go way up. 

Registered agents typically have to remain in state because the government wants someone that can be served within their borders.

I had a similar spending problem but it was going out to bars, gambling, and clothes.One day I woke up and was like hey, where do I want to be financially in “x” time frame.

Our biggest challenges are 1) tenant friendly (impossible to increase rents to keep pace with market) 2) High price per door 3) Poor rent to price ratio  If your approach is to gamble on appreciation, Metro Vancouver may be a fit, but I've found better overall returns elsewhere.

Yes it would be a gamble on appreiation, but just that - a gamble.

Banking on appreciation is gambling