The location and the apartment I would rent is different than the location/apt I would invest in if purely interested in profit and CF. 

It was just pure luck.

I prefer Airbnb purely b/c more rental income and easier turn over.

If no team, I'm pure sure he can build one through friends, associates, and family members.  

She played you, pure and simple. 

I get what you are saying and pure numbers you are right if you invested that extra $200 or whatever in another property.

When we bought our first rental property, we just went in with the idea that we were diversifying our assets and if the house could slightly cash flow or break even with 20% down, that was ok since it was purely a long-term investment where someone else would pay our mortgage and we'd have a 2nd house when retirement rolled around.

to the outside person without alot of money, it seems that the money or the toys will bring some kind of joy.

The returns in the Triad are much more attractive from a pure numbers perspective. 

I thought you were purely an investor looking to buy REOs.