I briefly explained a couple of the reasons and that "oh yeah, not to mention that the few hundred dollars per month that you're asking about equates to about a 10% cash on cash return.

Regardless, agents like her, and seemly you, are all factors in the equation of the housing crisis the OP has referred to.

However they only look at half of the issue: the expense side of the equation and ignore revenue.

If that first number of the first equation weren't 48...I'm pretty sure hours-in-the-day wouldn't have been my shortcut tool.17+57  would be 20+60=80, 80-6=74 for me.

It took the guess work, will power, and emotional roller coaster out of the equation.

@Johann Jells the numbers are flawed, they equate military bases with monetary payments and other nonsense meant to skew in favor of an predetermined outcome.It is really amazing how difficult it is to get someone to say thank you for several billions of dollars.Btw- there is renewed fear as another surge is hitting the north east.

Hard work is absolutely in the equation for success but there's no doubt luck and circumstance play a role.

Life has an inherent risk level, there is no way to eliminate it from the equation. 

>The only value to appreciation is bragging rights if it is not invested.I agree with this statement but equating having property appreciation to assuming it is not invested would be similar to thinking that you left the equity sitting in your apartment buildings. 

Nobody is "the be all end all" in the equation, if they are they are owning/managing/making a profit on... very few properties.