if you borrow 400k at 5% with a 20 year am your payment would come in @ 2.639k  leaving you a cash flow of roughly $900 a month.If you forgo the 1031, eat that tax and and invest the 250k you should be able to get a 4 plex, rented at 550 per unit yielding 2.2k in gross rents netting 1.1k (using the 50% rule) but you don't have all the other units rented out and tenants paying the mortgage for you building equity.Note these are rough numbers but my wife recently helped a client buy a 8 plex here in PHX and the buyer looked at a lot of properties over an extended period before finding one that worked  for them.  

At this point, I will just eat up my loss and keep the deposit.

I'm not understanding where future expenses are considered that will dramatically eat away all the cash flow.

My hunger for wealth is eating at me. i need help to start my investment portfolio and begin my own financial life.

If so be mindful of the HOA dues on townhouses which can eat up your return.

I had a question for the investors that ha e been in eating for a while.

Interesting opinion, however, remember - without the sheep lions don't eat...

SC and are interested in buying some cheaper homes and either flipping them or eating them.

Only looking for someone who eats and sleeps and drinks the BUSINESS..Then i would like to just branch out from there... 

It was eat, sleep, and breathe Real Estate at that point.