If the rehab raises rent by $100/month, (1) you would recoup the investment from the extra cash flow in about four years ($4800) and (2) if comparable properties in the area also have updated kitchens, you have likely forced appreciation for your property, creating instant equity that hopefully exceeds the $4500 in cost.  

Instant retirement.Lawyer would have named the principals of a LLC I would expect anyway. 

Or in another situation a car hitting you could result in instant death.

Pleasant, MI a town of 25K people, an hour away from a bigger city...instant deal killer?

it sounds like you took a risk and it worked out. good for you. if anything, I think this solidifies the phrase, "you make your money when you buy, not when you sell." obviously, you had enough instant equity when you purchased it, to leave a lot of room for profit.

Leverage and tax benefits and buying with instant equity and cashflow will always allow for better returns in RE if you do it correctly.But I still like stocks, too.

It can be hard to stay focused on one strategy in our instant gratification world.

To prevent abuse of hot water, go to a small tank, instead of tankless "instant" hot water. 

I am not expecting to make a million dollars instantly as an agent, but instead I want to use it as an avenue to learn more, meet people, and be an asset to other investors in the area that I may become acquainted with.My short term goal is to meet as many people as possible, especially locals here in Columbus, and keep learning from others mistakes.

The more regulation and controls government have--for instant strict building codes, it scares of investors and makes existing housing worth more.