DR Horton made it through the recession and expanded by being in the part of the market that had the highest absorption which tends to be lots 5000-7000 sq ft and under the average price per square foot. in addition all of the land entitlement groups that we work with that do this at scale (20 at a time, not one at a time) only work with and target national builders. 

Your education has cost you money, as education tends to.

Some of our owners have accidentally thought they were handing a situation "right", and because Chicago is a very tenant friendly city, the laws tend to lean in their favor, and it can cost you a lot if you are simply just not up to date on what is proper protocol (for example, what to say, what not to say, what to have in writing, and what not to put in writing, etc)... can be worth the management fees. 

I tend to agree with@Rick Albert here that we need more info.

Buying a multifamily property tends to be better for scale.

These course providers tend to sell their customer base on  unrealistic expectations or teach the most basic of concepts which are easily picked up through a book or merely browsing through these forums.  

Keep in mind that many responsible agents tend to be conservative with their valuations, especially in today’s market, where properties aren’t moving as quickly as they once did.If we’re in a conservative market, pricing on the lower end may make sense, but it’s always good to weigh your options carefully.

Tough one. 120 ft is nuts. 

If you take that focus off the table and understand this is a very complicated business that tends to be really lucrative over the long game, you will be ok.

Especially in Kansas City- where the properties tend to be older3.