I can envision that the numbers on these luxury homes would lead to to a long lag time...but hopefully I'm wrong. 

I am 20 years old and trying to learn as much as i can about real estate so that when i graduate college and have a steady income Ill be able to make smart investments hopefully leading to financial freedom.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

Are they going to start paying down that credit card debt, turn over a new leaf, and avoid bankruptcy for the next decade? 

The cleanest route but the least attractive method for most investors is to have the investor provide debt.

The decisions and actions you make today can lead to incredible long-term benefits, so it's great that you're starting now.A good starting point is connecting with a lender that aligns with your goals.

Overall, sounds like there is more inventory coming on line in 2025 in some major markets so wondering what some of those leading indicators of a "bottom" might be.

Because that trail will undoubtedly lead back to the alleged borrower.

If I convert those monthly nets into annual nets and plug those in to see what amounts of cash in would lead to those results in each case, I come up with:Scenario 1: $2000/month ($24000 annual) to equal a 12% return means you're in $200,000 cash. 

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.