Then there is a sort of echo chamber where social media spreads this idea to more and more people and somehow it becomes realistic. 

Also, it sounds like you are in a great time of life to rent to roommates - I don't think you would regret figuring out a way to do some sort of house hack like that right now!  

We will have to increase density tremendously to have any sort of chance....but that is a very unpopular option. 

You will certainly learn a lot more and get experience in all sorts of areas.

This is sending up some prickly hairs on my back.

I also asked her to try to schedule the next inspection at the start of their workday to make it difficult for the inspector to claim to have been delayed by some other matter with any sort of credibility.

Going to be interesting to see what sort of impact the new Government's mass deportation policy has on rents and construction costs.  

My wife drives across town to get her hair done. 

Has anyone ever experienced this sort of situation?

Use some for buy and hold (I personally would prefer apartments rather than buying a few single family homes) and some for lending/trust deed investing.In either category, you must know what you are doing, know how to vet the investment, how to vet the sponsor (if investing in a larger fund of some sort), the laws and regulations on the lending side, how to investigate which areas to invest in buy and hold and notes/trust deeds for that matter.So as you have already said several times, lots to think about . . .