People have money to spend on these condos, whether it is smart for them or notDave, really good points here. 

Welcome, there are quite a few BP members in your area that are very smart on the local St pete area. 

Is this a smart way to go?

Congrats on getting started early, and doing it the smart way.  

I think it's smart to stay liquid if you can.

Like @Bob Malecki talks about.. there is a reason you get the nicer returns you need to be very smart about what you buy and know the laws inside out.As for tax advantages  owning a few mid priced rentals I don't believe throw off enough in tax advantages to make that a part of the equation.. if you own 50 to plus door then I see that.I personally see the Crowd funding when the new rules come into play as a huge option for the person who would consider getting started in RE with a low priced rental IE under 100k rental.

But, many smart people would choose otherwise.

It is smart to process applications in order received to avoid discrimination issues with fair housing.However, it may be worth noting - we consider COMPLETED applications in the order received.

Is there a continuing education class you could take that would bring you up to speed with not only current laws, etc that have changed over the past 15 years, but also the new technology used?  

It's been about six years since I was associated with the solar business, but back then, it was pretty obvious that solar technology was progressing by leaps and bounds about every 8 months.