I would say buying to break even initially is better than pissing the money away gambling or going to the bar though for sure.  

My goal was to take the property down.I was able to get to 80+ houses that way and now when I'm selling some of these and having to do deferred maintenance, I'm thrilled I made the choice I did. 

It might come back next season but its a gamble.

You would be the one that eventually be taking the risk of trying to sell the property @ that appraised price or higher later.If the property appraises for less than you paid you could pay him off now, betting that it will appreciate in the future or the value could go down.Either way it's a gamble.  

I’m thrilled with the ones I’ve invested in the past several years.  

Is it all about the price tag, or is it the thrill of having multiple doors I'm trying to understand to plan out the marketing and potential questions and issues that will come up. 

Not overly thrilled.

It's like going to the casino.You play 3 hands, and you may come ahead, but if you gamble all night, the house ALWAYS wins.The larger your sample audience,  the end result will always normalize to one constant.

It's not for the faint of heart but it's thrilling! 

:(No they believe that cash flow is the only way to make money in real estate and investing in high dollar areas that have little to no cash flow but good chance of appreciation is gambling.. who ever came up with that one should be shot.. the big money is made in appreciation over time..