I wanted to add, the SP500 is closer to 7% if you factor in inflation but that can be pushed up by reinvesting your dividends.

I live in Philadelphia, Pa and house prices keep rising and I do not want to wait so long.

Also something else to consider is a fixed commercial loan, its more likely than not that rates will rise soon, hope this helped and wish you all the best mate

How do I, as a new agent, rise above the "bad press"?

What is the minimum dollar amount that you are comfortable walking away with each month, and how close is that spread with rising costs?  

Real estate rentals are also a hedge against inflation.

Its rare that you can pay full retail price in an inflated market like San Antonio and make money worth the risk.

Divide the remaining term into the cost to replace the component and that will be your estimated cap ex amount.There are other influences that will come into play such as inflation of costs between current costs and when you'll need to replace the item but if you invest the allowance amount in a conservative fund that should generally offset inflation effects.  

We are about to start paying badly for all this hyper-inflation since 2008.  

I need to learn the market and put a team in place that I can trust as CA just has horrible returns because of the inflated property values.