I had a choice of trading my rent increases coming in monthly for a lump sum of $400,000 in 2015 dollars. 

And how that could apply to ones investment choices.

I had a choice to make.  

Your solution is great because it puts the choice on the tenant - you are receptive to their needs, but they're the one who ultimately makes the choice. 

So here are my choices: get a full-time position, save up for the 3.5% deposit, and start as soon as funds are ready, continue my work in part-time for another year while saving all I can, or find a cosigner here that can help me get started ASAP. 

And that really your choice in real estate investing....boils down to how you feel about risk.

The result was, I raised rent and they paid without complaints because they had a choice. 

Not a wise choice unless you make out contracts.

hey Account Closed, i had the same idea once i saw deals were not easy. then again, nothing good is easy. my advice to you is don't go it alone, but try to minimize yourself getting cheated... next piece of advice is this: don't buy just a condo yourself, and then expect to buy investment property. your next property, if it's within 2 years, will be considered an investment property, and you will have to put down 20-25%, otherwise wait 2 years. i don't know your situation and life story, but also, it would be much easier to find lenders going from a 2 family to 1 family, than a 1 family to 2 family. as for stocks, i'm into the long game, so Vanguard ETFs, indexes are the way i go. warren buffett has a bet going on with a hedge fund manager; 1 million dollars to the charity of choice if the s&p 500 outperform the top 3 hedge funds of anyone's choosing over 10 years. someone took him on that bet but warren buffett is winning. 

You then have the choice to accept the counter or let it go and get your money back.