@Robert Adams  they low balled one of my Dallas properties I just would not sell to them because and I waited a few weeks and got 25k more.but its the power of radio marketing at play.

On the NW side like Montclare, fine, that's a low end price, but not on the west and sw sides. 

At What Rental Amount is it Too Much Work to Manage?

The place is a dump with very low quality tenants.  

Anyway, I'm just checking the other houses in the area to see how much they've sold for and low and behold the city owns 9 of the 14 houses and 2 empty lots in one block!  

However, I hear all the time that interest rates are so low that it's worth it to finance real estate with debt if possible.

Absolutely.

I want to be able to carve my own path and not be worried about people telling me "if you're not in your career by 35 you'll be doomed to low-paying jobs." 

Savings and Stock Market...absolutely.  401k...no (but I would not have one of those anyway...)

Absolutely, any time!