Check about the concept of "house hacking", many people start that way.

I like the concept of making investing accessible and achievable. 

(I know a lot of investors who are doing this, but I've been surprised to find out that it's a new concept that others haven't considered.)The more units, the better in this scenario because you can hedge your bets with more units.

I agree wholeheartedly, and if you've lived in China I guess you'll be familiar with the concept of "guanxi" which I think translates quite well to real estate.

If you’re not willing to do this, then you may be best off investing in some kind of real estate fund concept.  

We go by a simple concept, just do what you agreed too in the contract, nothing more, nothing less - if that happens then we all win.

Thanks for the colleague request.The concept of TDR is fairly simple and straightforward.

@Grace Norton adding to what's been written already, you'll want to get a 2-year work history for both.To consistently pay rent, requires consistent income, which requires consistent employment.Pretty simple concept!

Pent up  demand is a farce, you want to rationalize what is legitimate demand. 

Short answer: not legally, but they can get away with it.Long answer starts with a fundamental concept of our tax laws.