If you can't afford the down payment how can you afford the asking price.

If its a higher end property that you know is a good deal but your cash/finances cant afford it then venturing in with a partner would make sense.

However, often this depends hugely upon what you can afford or how you plan to pay for your investments.

I would also like to flip houses when I can afford to.

I can afford the 15% but again would rather use more of the lenders money at a lower interest rate.

The language in the housing report was that Stows laws were prohibitive of rental housing unless it is a 40B development, so there are a couple 40B developments  that solve the affordable problem, but there is still zero rental properties for those with higher income that rent. 

Fine if you can afford the loss, I actually do that on the little ones, but it's not very smart if you can't afford to cover things if they go south.

There is no shortage of renters, there is a shortage of affordable rentals. 

We can afford to purchase a place in a safer (location, location, location) part of town with both of our incomes.

I'd like to save up some cash in the short term and maybe take the plunge on buying a duplex or triplex if an affordable one pops up near me.