If your goal is MF, at the very least you'll want to sketch out what it will take to get into a MF in your desired area if you do sell, and if you don't.

The appreciation is more or less meaningless because you're not getting rid of the property.These are examples on either end...but figure out your goals and adjust.

I need a place to meet awesome hardworking individuals with the same goals/mindset as myself.

My goal is to cash out refinance to recoup my cash investment and replicate the process or go bigger into 5+ MF.Suggestions for financing?

In this case you will be taking on a bunch of risk on the assumption that your performance goals are met3.

Then you just manage the managers and let then know your goals and what you expect from them regularly. 

My main goal right now is to get over the initial fear and get my first investment property by end of 2018.

For the corporate tenants you might have had, have you focused on creating relationships with those companies, so that they could provide a future stream of incoming employees, or have you fully relied on Airbnb as the only communication channel?

They must communicate well and understand your goals and project program. 

Im new to real estate, getting closer to my savings goal for a property, and I want to know if I actually need a completely separate stack of cash for closing costs.