This brings a much greater liability into play, and in my opinion provides greater balance.Is this offering the best “deal” for a passive investors?  

Quote from @Chris Magistrado:The point he's making is that the agent must take responsibility for building and maintaining their business, and the Broker won't play much of a role.

So seems like a decent play for cash flow but not much for appreciation.

Figure out how you want to handle you investing and what role real estate plays in that. 

Investing is different from speculating, in that it’s data driven and therefor predictable and you have factors that play in that covers your downside and strengthen your chance of upside. 

You can see this play out in real estate as well.

Playing small won’t serve you or your family.

Starting all over from scratch... my gray hair is turning back black....LOL.   

On most any day you could find people walking dogs, or children playing in the area.

Umbrella insurance will never come into play for Property damage (fires, storms, floods, etc.)It is liability coverage only.I'm an insurance agent and have seen umbrella claims from fatal car and boat accidents.