Coupled with a base that is supported by foam and not cemented in- they fail after a few years.

You're probably not going to end up with any cashflow, but if all the bills can be paid and you can live in one unit for under $500/month, you've likely shaved at least $1,000 off your monthly payment by renting out the other units, and can use that $1,000 in savings every month to save for the next property or make improvements to the current property and increase it's value and get more rents.The real problem with this projection is that no one has a real estate crystal ball, and far too much can happen with the economy and politics in the next 2-3 years to be able to accurately tell you what the experience will be like in Phoenix.A real easy way to experiment with this would be to look up 2-4 unit multifamily properties on Realtor.com or MLS, see what the units are renting for, deduct one of the unit's rents for you to live in, and then use a simple loan calculator to see what your monthly PITI would be vs. the gross rents.

I guess it really is just for shaving legs....

I've been debt free since my late 20's, have some money invested in IRAs, mutual funds, and stocks, but only passively considered real estate as something that would only come about after purchasing a house to live in.

If it has a damaged surface just pull and replace (expensive but lasts longer...do acrylic and set in spray foam or plaster of paris) but if surface is okay use caulk remover to get the caulk softened between the tub and surround.

But I also know that most consumers out there don't care if there is 1" closed cell spray foam on their walls and that we used fiberglass composite windows vs vinyl windows and the list could go on, but these are things that I care about.

You wouldn't go to a dentist with false teeth or a barber who shaves his head so don't work with professionals who don't have invest in real estate.

Fiber Cement Exterior, metal fascia, ext foam insulation, 46 inches blown attic.

If your basement freezes consider insulation for the box sills (the area where the frameing sits on the concrete our block wall) - spray foam is usually the best as it will create an air tight seal and as a nice side benefit it also keeps bugs and spiders out.

Have room mate(s), have them pay you rent (your mortgage).