.#5 Make Decisions Based on the NumbersYour real estate investing strategy should include the financial parameters by which you determine if a property is worth purchasing.Your strategy may include details about: Purchase price range.Investment cash needed for repairs and upgrades before leasing to tenants.Financing strategy for the short and long terms.Bargain purchase (the percent under fair market value a property must be purchased).Immediate value increase (the percent in increased value you expect after making initial repairs and upgrades).Geographic area.Net income.Cash flow.Net cap rate (annual net income/total value).When you find a potential investment property that fits within the guidelines of your real estate investment strategy, you can pull the trigger based on the numbers rather than emotions and personal preferences.#6 Don’t Buy from Unmotivated SellersMotivated sellers are usually willing to work with buyers, so focusing on finding motivated sellers can result in making great deals as a real estate investor.

If you truly gave them your best offer, and they didn't bite and are 100% opposed to holding any type of paper, you need to appeal to the emotional side as opposed to the analytical.  

Admittedly have some emotion attached to it, since I lived there for 15 years.

Although we talk about not getting emotional when investing, it is hard when it is next door to your little slice of heaven.Lower starting price can actually drive it higher in the end.

IMO, and again I just do rentals.. but if I were a buyer... i'd see that as another expense I have to pay... you aren't selling the happy emotions.. you're likely making people see $$$ in how expensive it'd be to pick yours.     

It comes with non-ideal emotional baggage...-- I have some skills in remodeling/construction and some vacation time I could take to do more major repairs/upgrade/etc.The main goal I'm looking for advice is how to go from being a single family house hacker to owning a commercial real estate space that I could art studio hack (share loan payments with other tenants that I manage) to use as a shared art / video /dance studio? 

Also IT HELPS not to be emotional about property.

Unfortunately, I had to explain to him that he put hand-scraped hardwoods in a linoleum neighborhood.It can be emotional, when you're talking about your own home, but I would expect you are asking the question on Bigger Pockets because you want real estate advice.

@Franky Davis also don’t keep trying to emotionally manipulate a engineer.

It would be hard to remove the emotional tie from that investment with me and my family living there.