I still work a full time W-2 job and have three relatively young children.

Generally speaking condo are cheaper to get into, but you have higher costs due to condo fees and if the condo board does a bad job running the place, you will have even more costs. 

You tried getting a roofing job from Bob Prisco aka Bob Stevens, or you tried getting a roofing job from Elliott Taylor?

The current game is flipping which is a job (stop flipping and you stop making money) or more patience than I have.  

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

Thank you You are obviously a sincere young person looking at improving your financial position.  

So far, we have received this advise from appraisers in the Maple Heights area: 1) Attach all offers so the next appraiser can better understand the market value, 2) Provide a letter from the Maple Heights Building Department discussing the addition of the egress window making the bedroom conforming livable space, 3) provide comps for similar properties sold in the Maple Heights area (these do not have egress windows), and 4) create an itemized list of improvements and cost for renovations to the property.We are grateful to the Bigger Pockets community for their advice as well. 

I guarantee Musk cares more about his money, property, kids, and bathroom floor than the hired help, but that doesn't mean he is better suited for the job or that he has the time, skills, and energy to handle it.Maybe you're part of the small percentage that can do a better job.

They saw ahead that these jobs take a toll on you so bought RE and now live off RE in one form or another.

It depends on the neighborhood and maybe even what improvements that hypothetical home built in the 1970s got.