That said, we model our holdings both ways to find the sweet spot between "maximize cashflow" over our intended hold period and "pre-payment of equity" which results in greater cashflow in the longer term ... it then becomes a matter of discounting the two cashflow streams and deciding which is best.It's also a matter of shaping one's strategy to fit the circumstances.  

Agents offer expertise, we run into first time home buyers all the time in the Chicago market.

I am a Business Administration graduate of the University of Illinois am a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker and licensed Community Association Manager.My background in building and developing gives me valuable expertise in maintaining high-quality properties while staying under budget.

So here is the question- I know a business model/investment should not be primarily focused on appreciation but when all the factors point to a booming market, would it not be smart to attack?

Start with figuring out your business model and desired goals for the next year and five years and then ten. 

FirstAlert / BRK model SA520CNA is a hardwired(power) w/ battery backup smoke detector with wireless interconnect.There is also a carbon monoxide wireless interconnect and a battery-only smoke detector in the OneLink series.

The investment strategy model doesn't make any sense to me at all, could someone possibly help with this too?

You should seek recommendations on a quality firm with expertise in the field and a track record of providing excellent support for the plan beyond just the initial setup.

I can negotiate short sales as I have expertise as a subject matter expert for many mortgage lenders/servicers.

To be able to do this, I will have to have a stupendous system in place, and I will have to have a proven business model.