I have never worked for anyone always been 1099 for 40 some years.. so to me its a life style..

‘lifestyle’ business – ie simply intended to be run by and to provide an ongoing source of work and income for the proprietors, no clear vision for the long term future?

They cannot achieve salaries that can help support their lifestyles as everything in the City increases dramatically.The population that is staying are then benefiting from their higher equity as their home prices increase as well as their ability to achieve higher salaries from those jobs that require a skillset for it.With the higher equity, if they owned, they are then able to send their children to higher quality of schools which we know are expensive today.When those kids come back, they want to stay, mostly because it's a great place and they can afford it by going to these quality schools and Universities.ANYWAY, I think you get the point.I have been seeing this trend for the last 21 years investing in Brooklyn, NYC.

This is not really an investment question - it is a lifestyle question.With renting you will have no possibility for appreciation.

Being an agent just never fit my lifestyle personally. 

I am looking forward to learning this real estate investing business, to help me provide and create a new and better lifestyle for me and my family ( 7 daughters).

I am looking forward to learning this real estate investing business, to help me provide and create a new and better lifestyle for me and my family ( 7 daughters).

Otherwise, some book recommendations (these include mostly books on business/lifestyle or buy/hold investing):- "E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber- "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter (this provides a more foundational perspective on money)- "Cashflow Quadrant" by Robert Kiyosaki (further builds on the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" foundation)- "Set for Life" by Scott Trench- "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene- "The Book on Managing Rental Properties' by Brandon Turner and Heather Turner- "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod-"HOLD" by Gary Keller (geared toward SFR)-"The ABCs of Real Estate Investing" by Ken McElroy (geared toward commercial investing)"Multi-Family Millions" by David Lyndahl (This is on my list of "To-Reads".  

It really got me fired up and let me tell you, if I didn’t also love my home in guard-gated community and lifestyle with my 2 & 4 year old I would be house hacking and living off half my income.

Most people are renting because they don't qualify to buy (more and more are choosing the rent though as a lifestyle).