As a realtor, I can control my searches, and if I see a property hit the mls, I can access it right away, and not rely on someone else to fit me into their schedule. 

However it is not a good fit for everyone. 

@Jeff PratherWell They now make fancy tiles that will fit right in to replace those cheap textured ones .

What are your financial goals, and how does real estate fit into the picture?

Find out what the seller wants and see if it fits your business model.

Ideally I would like an 80/20 or 75/25 loan to value loan and 30 years amortization.

Yes, it is obviously ideal to have a garage, air conditioning, central heating/air, but there will always be someone out there who is right for your property.

Monthly would be ideal.

Ideally, and our thinking is, that if we keep as much money in our pocket every month we will have more money to immediately target and get rid of any other existing debt (very low balances on two auto loans and student loans that we could wipe out quickly) while also putting more money towards savings and other investments.

Those are all things i deal with on a daily basis.