The level of financial sophistication it take to optimize both leverage and cash is a bridge to far for most on this site, so while I agree with your position that cash is better than debt, I think you are in the minority of investors who frequent this site when it comes to having that capital structure. 

Besides, there're often ways to optimize your tax returns and minimize your taxes. 

In the most recent BP forum layout, each post has a menu that offers a few options for what one might want to do with an existing post; "Quote" is the one to choose since it will copy the text of the post AND it will also notify the user that the post was being referenced - the mention to the author of the post is something that copy and paste does not generate. 

For example, if I try to add my investments to my profile, the dropdown menu assumes my property is a state within the United States. 

Cape Coral tends to be much better optimized as an STR market over LTR, but if it was specifically LTR's that you're looking for, Lehigh Acres is another local market that offers cash flowing B class multifamily properties 

Does not make sense, I agree.Yes, extremely frustrating, but everyone's tax situation is different, and the only way to optimize your taxes is by working with a competent tax professional. 

In general, I reckon that if you get EMOTIONALLY attached to a SF primary you want to buy, you WILL spend more on it than is financially optimal, and it WILL hurt your Debt To Income ratio and therefore slow down your ability to buy more bargain multi-plexes at whim.Will your extra retirement income wish, vs your pretty-home desire, be easy to resolve? 

I think that skill set is immensely valuable, even if it's not optimal.

With that optimism in mind, out of your investing experiences, where would be a solid place to look for 40-60k properties for buy and hold, other than West Akron, as David Terbeek suggested?

I am trying to sign up for the tax advantage program where they review last 2 years of tax returns and optimize.