I pushed back on the idea of an up front transaction fee of 10K and told him that I'd be happy to pay a transaction fee at closing, but wouldn't feel comfortable paying 10K without it being tied to an acquisition.

Get out of your comfort zone.

However, in areas with little appreciation, all investment capital must come from your savings.Summarizing, a city where you can achieve and sustain financial independence must have the following characteristics:Significant and sustained population growth.A pro-business environment with a metro population >1M.Rapid and sustained appreciation.If a city doesn't meet all these requirements, achieving and maintaining financial independence will be difficult.

Your income needs to be 100x it and you need to invest 10% of your net(so less than $5mil) annually in structured product type investing incl RE, let it season for 3-5 years, re-invest the first bit of profits and by year 8-10 you should be comfortable.$500k annual income is alot for your average folk, but it's not "retire me" income at all.

Affordable housing in not built by driving rents down, that probably will result in a slum like environment.

Are you suggesting that being crammed in a small hotel room represents a better experience than being in a comfortable homey Airbnb?

I would suspect once investors digest the higher rate environment and some of the hurricane damage is moved inventory will settle out in neutral territory. 

In my experience, allowing these professionals to guide you can be highly beneficial, as they are likely to recommend properties they would be comfortable managing.

Personal Circumstances: Consider your comfort level with debt and risk.

These cities boast a forecasted job growth rate of 38%, driven by a thriving tech sector, healthcare expansion, and a business-friendly environment, which continues to fuel property appreciation.