Real estate is not risk free it's just a reality your long term planning is truly impressive but realize life is going to happen.Caveat, I did the infinity leverage approach when I started but never take it for granted you never have full control in this business its just an illusion get comfortable with it and you'll survive and thrive.  

My personal theory is that tenants collect junk and abandon it just as easily because it helps them maintain a personal illusion that they have some control over their living situation, in psychological terms "an internal locus of control."

If you just buy them to hold, however, any return on investment is an illusion.  

It is an illusion, it is a farce, and please understand that you have all the right to disagree and you can fight for your beliefs but the fact remains, that NO filter/criteria can isolate motivation from a list.

It's an illusion, and a dangerous one. 

You hit most of my favorite hot buttons:1 - Basic math2 - Compounding3 - re-investing your cash's "friends" (profit/cash flow)I would add this:1 - Cash you put into the deal upfront is the amount of negative cash flow you are starting with...and the cash flow you get after t hat must first catch up to your cash in to break even...before you start to make money.2 - Adding more money (cash) upfront to change a negative CF deal into a positive one is an illusion.  

i have no illusions of ot being get rich quick.

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."  

@John McKee, as others noted: less work (presumably), different risk:reward requirements, other investment objectives.The thing I found about these forums is it creates the illusion that Value-Add is the best and only option anyone should ever look at and core or core+ assets don't make sense.  

I think what makes it extra appealing in the home owner's situation is it "gives" the illusion of person to person help rather than having a corporation swing in and rescue them.