If you are viewing risk solely through the lens of the invested capital then yes residential would be less risky.

Start looking at real estate from the lens of school clusters.

For spacious room shots, put yourself in corners or doorways, backing up until the door edges are visible in the lens, then scoot forward slightly to remove them.

I'm also viewing the material through the lens of my own residence to help me determine what renovations I should undertake (and in what order) to force appreciation.🎯 My target properties are single-family homes, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, around 1500-2000 square feet, single-story, built around 1980s (suburban Class B properties in good school zone).🧠 I'd greatly appreciate any insight on the below:1.) 

My suggestion would be to look at your rental from the lens of a small family and figure out where they look for shorter term stays.

But when look in this lens, property (A) has a 2X return at 5.5yr and property (B) has a 2X return at 7years.     

Once you see daily life through the lens of this quote, you will start looking at each thing you do differently.This principle signifies the interconnectedness between the micro and macro aspects of our lives.

You are just applying a new lens to analyze it. 

While a great tool (especially the prior legislation version), I frequently see properties trade higher than they should because buyers analyze the properties with an extremely narrow lens without appreciating the favorable impact the abatement has on operating expenses.

By focusing on deals through this narrow lens you may overlook properties that have characteristics that will perform better over time through capital improvements, improved management etc.