I really don't respect landlords who look for any reason to keep security deposit money.I also think it's unrealistic and unfair to expect tenants to never hang anything on the walls. 

@Ashley Petersen I would wake up from this dream you are having, completely unrealistic and fantasy, Is this really a valid question ?  

Back then, unscrupulous lenders stimulated housing demand artificially by making lending unrealistically over-available leading to rise in home prices well beyond their actual value. 

If Dave was checking this out, he would say two thingsa) 20% is very unrealistic over a long long period of time and 10-12% is more realisticb) if you borrow against your house at 4% and make 10-12%, you are not adding risk.

However, if the bank states your Debt to Income ratio (DTI) will not get you qualified or the interest rate is unrealistically high, ask what more can you put down to get qualified.From there, aggressively save.

I see what the other members are saying, but is it very unrealistic to take an FHA down to and 80% ltv by refinancing??

Many out-of-state investors wish to be more hands-on and get more involved but the distance makes it unrealistic. 

I hope to leave my day job within a year (I a willing to listen to any advice if this goal seems a bit unrealistic for newbies).

That question helps you figure out very quickly if they are being unrealistic about their situation.

If its the later you need to sit down at your computer and research a few of those cities for 30 seconds to see how unrealistic this is haha.