Between the fact that my returns have come down to about what I could get with a REIT index fund since the property price has appreciated significantly, and this kind of crap in an increasingly liberal political environment, I'm really wondering if I wouldn't be dodging an eventual bullet by getting out now.

REI was always a bit nervewracking to me (I always jumped to the "what if" mentality when I'd think about being a landlord), and as a result missed out on the super low rate environment of the last several years, instead investing my cash into the stock market (took quite a beating this past year!).

I know putting less down on the initial purchase to get started creates a harder environment for cash flow, while easier to get in the game per say.

And it'll be a healthier market to buy/sell in.

To be quite honest, in this type of economic environment, I would never go above 75 LTV.

Whats unique about this one, and what might impact the inverted yield curve to signify a recession, is that we are in a very low interest rate environment.

This translates into higher resale for you because you have a bigger buyer pool.As @Ryan Mertens suggests, reevaluate the regulatory environment when you decide to move and make your decision then regarding how you want to use it. 

A modern design might be great in a neighborhood of thirty somethings in an urban environment, but wont fly in a 60 something suburb.

The lowest I know is 50K and I don't even know if they'd do it in this environment.

Hey Stephanie - could you give us a brief overview of the regulatory environment out there?