The current machines are coin operated and are more than a decade old.

I agree with @Michael Plaks on a Roth IRA, I don't see tax rates going down in the next few decades and ideally if you are investing in real estate your income and therefore tax bracket may even be the same or higher in retirement. 

When values come back, you're going to see some years within the next decade in double digits (what comes up must come down, however, what comes down must also come up).

PM Companies have been doing this for over a decade now. 

However, the simple fact is, you get that is hard to do over decades and eventually reversion to the mean will happen.

This post was just inspired by @Jason Scott who just posted on FB how most people will never achieve $10 million, $100 million net worth etc (and theres nothing wrong with that) (Also, in like a decade on here Ive never been able to tag Jason even though I have super power moderating capabilities).So I was curious what is everyones net worth goals?

I don't know why I always think of that, but that's exactly what we did more than a decade ago.

I could buy property in Kansas, follow the 2% rule, and have deadbeat tenants who don't pay rent, don't have stable jobs, and property values stay flat for decades.  

the negative cash flow waiting for top rent .. will take you half a decade to recoup even if you get the top rent.. it becomes a double whammy.. not only will you end up having to lower your rent realistically  but you just paid 3 months of negative cash flow.. full on negative.. and now you rented fore break even so you wont recoup until rents get above break even and at that it will be a tiny amount.. so you can run the math.Unless your confident that there is going to be serious appreciation like CA..

And remember @Llewelyn A. historical priority of RE returns and he formally taught this investment stuff for a decade or so as I recall.