Without this large influx of cash it'd take you 10+ years saving 10% of your annual income to get to that amount and you're willing to gamble on a go big or go home mentality?

The zip code level summaries are thrown off b/c our chosen area of West Baltimore is lumped in with the lavishness over in Federal Hill, etc.

Take a gamble on birdtown for cheaper property? 

I think @Jay Hinrichs touches on the important point... if you can reasonably expect appreciation, then it might be a good bet/gamble. 

I may not have too much to say at first because I will likely just be studying and reading posts and books, but feel free to say hi if you want to meet a potential source of capital or just meet someone you may be running into in this investing game we have chosen. 

My Situation:- I have NO "farm", chosen cities/neighborhoods- I DO NOT invest in my area, which is Manhattan, New York City- I DO invest in the continental US- I invest long-distance

The reason, or thinking is, when one party relies on the performance of the other party and they have no obligation the arrangement becomes more personal where the party obligated to act is selected, chosen, allowed or underwritten by the non-performing party.

My partners and I have chosen to take a much different approach.  

Its a gamble sure but the historic return on the stock market is 8% a year. 

As far as gambling goes, I'd like to put myself in position to benefit from continually increasing rents, and not put myself on the other side of the table.