The "requirement" to buy property

With all due respect, you’re clearly not experienced in real estate investment. The whole idea that “as long as you make more than the interest you’re paying you have a good thing going” is the kind of nonsense that leads people to believe that interest-only loans are the path to real estate riches.

I don’t really care if the owner of my property paid for it in cash and doesn’t have a mortgage. The bottom line is that I’m renting out a place that could cost well over a million USD to buy for just $2,100 USD/month. I don’t have to worry about its inflated price, the fact that like all properties here, it will deteriorate fairly rapidly, shitty neighbors, etc. I can leave at the end of my lease and move on to a newer “luxury” property without any risk and minimal hassle.

A “good” cap rate is generally considered to be a 8-12%, although there are a number of factors and it could reasonably go a bit lower.

But a 2-3% cap rate? That’s a joke.