However people usually dont know the blood, sweat and tears that went into getting that money. 

I'm hoping to join you in retirement in 10 years but hopefully I find some sweat properties that cash flow like yours and I'll be there much sooner.

You don't have to sweat how to pay for all that stuff and pay mortgages.   

I would add to look for "cosmetic fixers" that are solid in all their major systems, but ugly and dated finishes ... you can add a lot of sweat equity to places like that.

when you do, there's no need to "sweat" the tenant on the 1st!

You are talking about people's legacies, their life savings, all their blood, sweat, and tears of work for their profession or their business built up often after many decades of time.How can someone take something like that so lightly? 

If you wanted to keep your up-front costs lower, how comfortable are you with putting in some sweat equity into different parts of the process? 

It sounds like you put in sweat equity?

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timed souls who know neither victory nor defeat. 

Earned from sweat and hard work.