My compass is leading me towards Broken Bow.

Blow gun, sling shot, bow and arrow, boxing gloves, etc. 

Bricks start to fail around the windows and sooner or later the whole wall starts bowing out.It's related to Pittsburgh and the high precipitation of the area as well as the high number of old quality brick in the area, but I suspect other people have similar concerns.

I have always been fascinated by the wealth compounding capability of real estate. 

Compounded with the fact that all of these properties are leveraged and required minimal initial capital investment, I'm not quite sure how would would've replicated our success via stocks.

Just some perspective I understood the vibe of your post  ;) RE isn't hard, you just have to keep putting forth small steps that have compounding positive effects.

You'll pay more in interest of course, but the value of the house will more than pay for it the longer you hold it since it compounds (and interest decreases every year).

It allows me to invest freely and compound wealth a bit faster.

Getting a 2x multiple in 2 years would require a return just under 50% when considering the effects of compounding.  

Bow since they are out of contract can the sellers agent use this as a sort of 'sign this agreement or else we will cancel' tactic?