We both work full time, which won't change soon, although we hope to retire early if we can supplement our income enough with real estate. 

Why I Love Student HousingRent Premium - Students will typically pay 40-50% more in rental income than market rate housing.

Despite the appeal of leveraging debt for wealth expansion, the security and certainty of a fully paid home offer compelling advantages for many.Pro tip:I look at the metric ROE, Return on Equity over ROI, Return on Investment.ROI = (Net Operating Income/ Total Investment Cost​) × 100ROE = (Net Operating Income/ Equity​) × 100For me, what is best for you is dependent on what stage of your investment lifecycle you're in coupled with your risk tolerance and personal financial goals.With Discipline,Josh

they talk about how much capital you need to be able to replace a substantial W2 income. 

- Condo- pro's- own something that will appreciate, can still be in the city, can rent out if we move- passive income.

Once you have a good estimation of rents that is your income and you can calculate the other expenses an ultimately your returns. 

As the local governments struggle to manage tax payer money responsibly, they should really offer incentives to private builders to build "income restricted" at a much lower price. $220-$300/ft for vertical build costs.  

My long term goal at the end of my investment journey is to enjoy the journey, play the long game, and  have enough income from my investments that keeps my family well and financially independent.

@John Mason, lenders will look at your credit history, income and assets held to determine your eligibility for a 15% down payment conventional loan.

Remember also that the interest on the loan is taxed at ordinary income rates.So for example lets say you have 100k and were making 8% in the markets - 8k per year and say you are in top bracket, you will pay $1600 in taxes per year or netting 6400.Now lets say you did a loan and were at 5% you are earning $5k per year (actually less because principal is being paid down and some of money goes into essentially a 0% checking account).