Buy a golf arcade instead like Golden Tee with Power Putt Live.

The kind with low money down but you have to live there?

If you find a building that is outdated, it will be priced accordingly and is a great opportunity to updated it and add value-when updating though keep in mind you are not living in it and not to go over the top. 

Welcome to my weekly article, which I dub 'A Skeptical Dude’s Take on Real Estate,' coming at you live from Nashville, TN.

What I would suggest alternatively is putting a clause in the lease that anyone above the age of 18 that's going to be living in the unit for more than 7 days has to be approved by the landlord and pass credit/background/income check etc. 

Allow me to introduce myself – I'm Lane Klastow and live in Phoenix, AZ, and I'm diving headfirst into the thrilling world of real estate investing.

A lot of houses have no windows on the South side and that is for a reason.You didn't say where you live but unless it's the far north, I would pick house #1. 200 extra SF is nice too.....If there is not enough sunlight down the road and it bothers you, you can always add a window on the front, or even easier, put in a Solatube in a central location.

If you're new to this game, try to buy rentals, live in 1 unit and rent out other rooms/ units and manage the house well to just understand how to manage a real estate investment and what costs it takes.

My 40 year old lives in house.  

Second, commissions are set at approximately 5-6% because that's what it takes for an agent to earn a living.