With 2k to invest you are probley going to look towards a owner occupied property to get a low down payment and try to get closing cost paid by the seller. 

I tend to have a VERY low risk threshold when it comes to handling other people's money...

. $1525 rental was worth $120 to $130k three years back but certainly not new construction which doesnt mean much since you are not living there. also the pool of buyer willing to pay $1525 is low compared to the average $1100 to $1200 pool. please keep that in mind.

Are those two mutually exclusive, do I have to choose between good bank lending rates and low income taxes?

We leave an offer and let the seller think, because ours are low offers and usually a disappointment to the seller.We've had many people call back 3, 6, 12 months later and a number call back 18 months later or more.

We had people buying for as low as 5 to 10 cents on the dollar.Months 3 and 4- Outside investors will flood the area driving up prices.

It threw off $15k in unlevered FCF a year, was roughly a 7 cap (which is really low for low income class C, right?).

The more established contractors typically order their material directly through contractor sales reps, as opposed to making daily trips to Home Depot or Lowes.

But most no/low down loans won't cashflow and might even be neagtive..

Your multifamily model might have a low to stagnant growth rate with much greater replacement reserves to account for roof and HVAC replacement.One of the great parts about commercial investing is the predictability of income.