Most 3BR turnkey homes are closer to $285K and upwards, so with money more expensive, and minimum rent of $1800... possible break even scenario.

Frankly I would be less excited at spending any kind of money on a place that I don't own.

I know with a hard money lender, you lost good amount of profit. 

or scammed them on their application fee (like we're going to make a ton of money off those).

It is a very secure investment, and it is almost impossible to lose money on this deal.

Misjudged the job cost (contractor error, usually results in asking for more money)2.

I also advertise before someone moves out to get a new tenant before the current one leaves. 100% occupancy on a LTR is very common for me.No idea on a MTR.100% occupancy sounds great, but for a bigger portfolio or apartment complex, it usually means you're leaving money on the table.Here’s an extreme example: I could rent out 100 units at $500 a month and make $50,000.

If I donated to aids health foundation and they spent the money on rent control instead of aids research or health care, I would be pissed.  

I agree with you that I would not want to tie up all that money in home equity when it can be working for you to make more money.

Starting with a smaller property or a few fix-and-flip projects can help you build equity, gain credibility with lenders, and better understand the process before scaling up.Securing funding for larger projects can be challenging without prior experience, but options like hard money loans might be worth exploring.