Having the cash means you can balance a higher amount down to make sure you earn the cash flow you want monthly, but also leave some around for more. 

Would like to know which one you would choose and why(goal is to earn the most in 10 years time).1.

Should I stay within my Budget or pay more for potential earnings?

For ownership of income producing property held personally, or thru a pass thru entity, different rules apply to the ability to recognize loses against passive or earned income, depending on the individuals gross taxable income, preference items subject to the alternative minimum tax, and whether or not the individual is in the real estate industry, or how much of their time is spent managing real property investments. 

Investors buy shares and earn returns through dividends and potential stock price appreciation.You typically can’t lose more than your initial investment with publicly traded REITs.

I wanted a cohesive, fairly upscale look, so bought new from a variety of places including a local furniture store, Amazon, Wayfair, Target online, Home Depot online, Pottery Barn, Article, and others.

Haven’t heard of this company but most of these companies prey on people who dont spend a few minutes to search online.

🌞6️⃣ Rental Income Deductions: Earn income & deduct related expenses.7️⃣ Home Equity Loan Interest: Deduct interest if used to improve your home.8️⃣ Military Moving Expenses: Active-duty?

You are required to file a complete and accurate return, which means reporting the income that you earned along with atleast the direct expenses that you incurred on your rental.There are two comflicting forces - Your tax accountant wants to be aggressive with deductions because it will entitle you to paying less taxes(now or in the future).Your lender wants to see as much income as that will increase your Debt to Income Ratio(DTI).The good thing is that you can speak with your lender about 'one time expenses', that were only incurred in that year and are not reoccuring. 

This fosters a top-down management approach that ensures accountability and efficiency throughout the property.As I've earned from my own experiences, the difference between a good operator and a poor one lies in effective asset management.