Doing differently would be an opportunity cost.General partners of real estate funds are usually people who has a solid track record, able to provide the tax benefits, LT equity and cash flow you talked about.

Buy 4 more properties - one approximately every 3 months, based on the following logic = always fill existing property with a tenant prior to moving on (I'm new, and this is my way of managing risk); build resources to purchase next property (I have pretty decent purchasing power right now through conventional lending with my current job, and I also have a private lender ready to loan on my next property, and I also get a quarterly commission check that provides a nice financial bump every 3 months); finding a property takes time, but it is worth it to find the right property in the neighborhoods I want to invest in, at the right price.

Decide which game you want to play.

Listen to @Jon Smith he has provided with good insides and he is also in your market, but in summary things that you have to look at:- You have to do a rental CMA to know how is the rental around your property with similar features and size.

In Philadelphia you customarily need a certification statement to be provided to the buyer and it appears the broker in this case is likely referring to form while redirecting the responsibility onto the buyer to obtain the document. 

However, if you don't have much experience with purchasing real estate, or are unfamiliar with your local area, then it may be beneficial for you to work with an agent regardless of where you are sourcing your deals from.Your agent should be providing value beyond whatever amount they are charging you, and if they're not it may be time to find someone new to join your team!

Can you provide this property address for me to analyze?

Looking for any help you can provide.

Yes, my advice would be to find the person in your market doing what you would like to do at a large scale, e.g. wholesaling, and figuring out how you can provide them value.

If it does, the interest rate doesn't matter as it is just a part of the calculation.You might also look at selling one or both of the properties in a 1031 exchange and buying into a new property (or several) that provides higher returns.