Yes there are those that for medical reasons, mental primarily, deserve to be on assistance but that number is tiny compared to those that simply view the system as a free ride. 

But "locals" that have this selfish mentality don't care, what they see is they have to stand in line or wait for the restaurant or store, or traffic issues.

The money you save on rent will be a major financial boost and you will start reaping all the rewards of long term property ownership you mentioned such as appreciation, loan paydown through payments, tax deductions etc. 

Too many have "Entitlement Mentalities" and expect to not lift a finger to do anything.

The reason so many people get in the market is because it has a gambler's mentality. 

@Eric James that's operating under a scarcity mentality though.

Ultimately it will boost your occupancy which will impact your occupancy rate and your cash flow.

Yes I work with an amazing agent that helps me find a good property and shared knowledge and understood investors mentality.

My goal was to unlock as much equity as possible, the monthly payment isn't an issue because I only use it short term (3-6 mos).I can't remember the 80% ltv NOO heloc lenders, I was focusing on OO during my search and only made mental notes that the 80% was available.  

To boost monthly cash flow, you can explore opportunities to reduce operating expenses below 50%, boost rent (note that the model assumes rent will stay constant which is probably too conservative), lower your leverage, or obtain more favorable financing terms.