Or does the maple/black granite have a classic look that should be desireable  years from now?  

The aircraft turned out great (At least so far :).What matters is that you can effectively find and manage a team that will bring you the desired results.

My desire is to buy and flip houses in the near-by future.

you will find your best deals just driving around, and checking preforeclosure lists, etc. tax sales are a great way to find hidden gems. i do not know how good you are at doing the fixer upper thing, but distressed properties are a great way to start. they usually require little money to purchase, and give you great experience at rehabbing a house, and in the end, quite often, yield the best rate of return. keep one thing in mind. i admire your desire to grow big by expanding into LA and other high dollar areas, but remember, high dollar areas do not necessarily mean a high dollar return. my advice?

We're obviously unfamiliar with the politics of the Association but it just sounds like the Board is comprised of homeowners, and, as usual, the investor is not appreciated, thus, they're desire to cap the rentals.

If debt free is your desired path then #4 or # 2 will get you there the quickest.

Boyd, I may have some leads for you depending on your criteria(desired unit ct, class type, etc.)

We will be prepping our cabin in the coming weeks to get it ready to go on the market and in the mean time, I am keeping a very close eye on the townhouse market in my desired purchasing area of Woodbury, Mn.

If she doesn't like it, she may hold a grudge and move when the lease is up but it sounds to me like your area is desirable and well-maintained.

Eventually all of the units sold for rock-bottom prices.Fast forward to 2015 and although not fully recovered, the neighborhood is on the upswing with new construction and is guaranteed to be a more desirable location in the next 2-3 years.