I also think the people who prey on people looking to make money in RE with little work and $ are immoral as they're making money selling a system that they know won't work (it's like selling shovels to gold prospectors and pointing them to a spot where you know there's no gold) Perhaps I could have been more specific but a sprinkle of hyperbole makes life interesting. 

I found the sweet spot eventually by renting a really nice place at a bargain in between the two, owning rentals in the small town, and running the work from home business that serviced the major city. 

The liability protection I posted is spot on, but the tax advantage is not.

When I was flipping in a 50s cookie-cutter neighborhood, a realtor once told me that a bungalow would fetch $85,000 on the spot, and a colonial, $95,000.

@Jay Neil is spot on - it's MARKETING.

They filled out an application on the spot.

I think a lot of us are tire kickers until we feel we have enough education to be able to spot a deal as well as be able determine what type of REI fits our tolerance/goals.

I can tell you the ARV on the property is going to be around $380K, so it may be out of your sweet spot.  

The price of the 3 bedroom townhouse, which comes with 2 parking spots (and has no affiliated HOAs) is the price of most 1 bedroom condos in the area.

If you're owner-occupying half then you're in a great spot.