I would like to know if anyone feels my goal is realistic, and if not that will let me know how I may need to adjust to see if this would be viable for me.Work has become heavy (in a positive way), that I have been able to build up the capital for multiple properties, however my time has become completely sucked dry.

Meeting left with good action steps..one of them being thinking about how to sturcture this.  

I don't mind leaving all positive cash flow in this 4 plex for repairs for the next several years. 

Lets say I was in a position where the mortgage was being covered by a renter.

I wanted to do an objective analysis so I figured out what parameters were most important for a reliable, cash flowing market (Low price/rent, positive population growth or influx, and job growth) tried to quantify them in widely available statistics and put them all together for the major (and some data for minor) metropolitan statistical areas.  

This implies a cash neutral purchase of a SFR from 3 years ago would have nearly $500 positive cash flow today.  

I’m staying positive and reading my books and listening to the podcasts but still I feel like I have more questions the more I listen and learn.

Gradually, I came to almost hate rentals.Then our second mortgages paid off (we'd borrowed on our home and from family to get started), and we started actually cash flowing positive on a regular basis. 

Hey Man in in the same position, just closing on 3 properties now and flying out next month. 

The FHA Streamline sweatshops don't need to calculate income, barely need to verify employment, don't even need an appraisal department, virtually zero buy-backs, etc, so there's a whole bunch of overhead costs they simply don't have at all, and they can hire the dumbest/cheapest people for all positions.