If I decide to invest in dividend paying stocks over growth stocks then I'm sacrificing dividend yield for expected share growth. 

Net worth is also subject to systemic market losses, cash is (nearly) only subject to inflation losses, which are easier to mitigate. 15year mortgage don't really have any advantages, the 1% rate difference is nothing compared to what you could earn with the sacrificed cash and it's far less than the risk taken on potential equity fluctuations.

I plan to obtain my real estate license by the end of this year, In addition to that, I've also sacrificed my free time by spending countless hours daily studying the profitable side of real estate which happens to be the investor side. 

We essentially cut out the middle man without sacrificing the service.  

Doctors have to make a living just like everyone else, and financial independence and wealth generation need not be sacrificed because their work involves caring for others.

If I sacrificed some math for better livability, my exit strategy would be to live there with the intent to sell in the future .

I know some people criticize this method because you are sacrificing so much profit by not hiring your own employee/boots on the ground person, but I see several MAJOR advantages to using a local boots on the ground wholesaler that is already established in my target market….A local (boots on the ground) wholesaler will save you TONS of time and energy getting set up because they are already established and are set up with:1.

By looking at refurbished markets you can find considerably cheaper equipment for your kitchen without sacrificing quality.4.

Whatever you do, make sure you build quality into the mix or you will have contractors blowing through the job at lighting speed and sacrificing quality-  Be as thorough as possible during the inspection. 

This alone is guaranteed to save you (potentially) thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your portfolio, without sacrificing any coverage or raising any deductibles.Secondly, and something almost every investor I talk to appreciates, is the cost efficiency of the master policy approach.