So for example if you sold now and lost 10k, but would only lose 100 a month holding and you think it would be cashflow positive in 3 years or could sell at breakeven at that point then you are looking at 10k now versus 3600 minimum over 3.

The advantage to hiring a licensed contractor (versus a usually cheaper handyman) is they carry insurance.You can check to see if his license is still active (google: Washington licensed contractor), although this won't give you his insurance information.This would be a claim against his insurance.

I am interested to hear about peoples first hand experience with earning $100,000 on a W-2 basis for an employer versus living off of $100,000 per year of cash flow. 

Because there's still a few drawbacks IMO on FHA - the PMI never goes away and if you refi then the rate may be way higher and closing costs again have to be paid, versus conventional the PMI goes away once you hit 20%; the inspection you have to pass for government loans.

It makes you much more attractive to the lender when you are bringing 2-4 properties versus just 1.

.); management companies...are they present in the area and how good are they; are there different consideration for a 2 unit versus a 3 unit or larger property?

I think you’ll find that the impact to your costs of having an agent on your side, looking for deals that you aren’t privy to, especially when getting started, is negligible versus not having agent.

If they go to a metal recycling center versus a junkyard, no title is required.

He also said it was way easier back then to get that sort of thing versus today, but he noted that it's most important, regardless of cycle, to be bankable. 

Unless you are financing somehow different than I do, none of these really align with what I know about lending, so that makes me wonder if there's something with the lender versus you.