I have a couple of properties I've house hacked into a couple of spots scattered in Morgantown, WV and Charlotte, NC, both great markets for student housing and population growth, respectively.

This was our first purchase and we made mistakes but also learned a lot, and we're looking forward to continued growth.  

In Real Estate (Growth?

That gives you three rentals and will accelerate growth and learning.

I believe I would enjoy that immensely!

If I have to assume future appreciation or future rent growth, then I'm not very interested.I do look at the cash-on-cash returns, and do compare that vs. alternative investments.

It's called arbitrage, the bank is loaning me money and making 6% APR on it and I am using that money along with my cash (20% of the purchase price) to earn 45% ROI on the property.I don't care if I'm renting the money from my bank for the first 12 years, the people that are renting my apartments from me are paying that rent and paying for the up keep of the building, and paying the utility expenses, and paying the taxes, and paying the insurance, and paying me money for my time to work on it, and leaving cash in the bank called profit that I can use to grow the business.

Because of the over population and growth of Columbia the city is helping people fund apartments in our downtown area and such.

But that's also been one of the strongest growth areas, and will continue to be if prices rebound.

Job growth is in low wage service jobs and the bottom of the spectrum, and in highly skilled jobs at the top end.