All that being said, you can actually take control of a property and drive results yourself, unlike the stock markets. 

They rarely make it -- this business is way too difficult to imagine you'll go into it and come out of it as just the same person.The people who do tend to survive and prosper are the ones who have an overriding personal reason to be doing it.

They control the timing and have direct access to all parties involved.

If it is local you have control, you can self manage, and you have experience doing refurbs etc.

My old tenant moved out and he never complained about a minor issue a loose knob , my new tenant moved in and it seems to me like he wanted to take control the hard way by using a plier and that worsened the problem it can cost upto $200 just to call a plumber , I will try to see if there are any diy solutions.

Peace of mind goes a long way for a lot of people, and it’s not worth it if keeping the debt is going to cause you extreme stress/worry.Personally, I believe you could leverage a real estate investment to help you take more control of your debt down the road, creating another income stream.

I prefer cities with no Rent Control.

I think I am over analyzing and digging deeper than necessary in the business entity, at least right now.Only thing I would say is I am trying not to play with cash the puts food in my mouth and want to invest in something I actually have control over (unlike the market).

Ended up paying $20k+ in legal fees and back rent because he overcharged him $50/mo. over the rent controlled amount.

I feel like I have lost control.