Gas cost for your vehicle would be around about $40/week (160/month) and this does not wear and tear on the car.

The point about expenses was in support of the fact that the asset is self supporting so you aren't paying for things like management and taxes since your tenant is paying all of those indirectly.And as you said that study is looking at a single variable in the investment equation, if we were to say it's a waste of time based on that one variable we could show that any investment vehicle is a waste of time based on a single variable

And u have option to invest is so many vehicles, student rental by universities, rentals servicing the bedroom community of big employers.

Of course, you also have to factor in your cost and return of forced appreciation against the margin, since you now have a vehicle for secondary investment that may be superior to the other option(s). 

And, that real estate was a great vehicle to accomplish it.And then I wanted to get down to making it happen.Good luck!

I currently work in the oil and gas industry in Houston TX.My wife and have agreed that is we want to become more financially independent we would have to find a vehicle to help us achieve that goal.

Well, since we don't have a lot of details, I'll throw out a big picture idea, why not roll your 401k into a self directed vehicle, and use it purchase the next building?  

I even told them that I will pay off my vehicle to reduce the debt to income ratio because they believed the rent I pay is a lot, and have not 3, not 6 months of reserves, but over a years worth.I was told by a banker not to say that I want to buy another property, because underwriters think it is negative.

There is a 5% product that also has PMI, but after 5 years if there is a minimum of 20% equity you can apply to drop the PMI. which saves you the cost of a refi & the chances of higher interest rates.After that a good vehicle to increase your portfolio is the HomePath 10% investor mortgages.

Do you own any vehicles or anything of value outright??