A lender, however, is suggesting that a 7yr arm for a 30 loan would be far more valuable.

Balance, payment, type (fixed-ARM, FHA - conv)), lender?

I am currently executing a digital marketing strategy that will allow home buyers to find dream home on instagram.

Hi @Khai Brown, Welcome to BP, and well the first thing i would get into doing would be to learn all that you can, dive into the education tab above^ and find your desired path, your goals, your interests and build your knowledge on that, now you will not know everything but arming yourself with knowledge is a good start, build a plan write things down, sort of like a road map to get where you want to be, nurse your credit if you can. 

It has been that way for 6 years straight with double digit every year.

You are entering a potential landlord tenant war zone in Ontario so arm yourself in advance.

I could pony up and purchase something here in the Nashville area that has a higher likelihood of appreciating over time, but will cost me two arms and a leg.  

The goal is to become financially independent enough for DH to leave his current business (which ties him down locally), so we can become digital nomads with me working "wherever" and him just hiking and having fun ;) We'd like to still live comfortably and keep safety margins with our finances, so we think that's going to happen about a decade from now.

Arms Length transaction.  

In addition to that there are much less subprime loans such as no docs, stated, pay options, ARM's, etc.