This snippet from the host.xml file, note the --> that was forgotten to be removed in the remote line...
<domain-controller>
<!-<local/>->
<!-- Alternative remote domain controller configuration with a host and$
<remote host="127.0.0.1" port="9999"/>-->
</domain-controller>

Generates this error message:
[Host Controller] 21:24:51,341 ERROR [org.jboss.as.controller] (Controller Boot Thread) JBAS014601: Error booting the container: java.lang.RuntimeException: org.jboss.as.controller.persistence.ConfigurationPersistenceException: JBAS014676: Failed to parse configuration

Several lines further down...you get this message...

[Host Controller] Caused by: com.ctc.wstx.exc.WstxParsingException: Received non-all-whitespace CHARACTERS or CDATA event in nextTag().
[Host Controller] at [row,col

]: [44,4]

It would be nice if the first error message in an XML parsing error would just show me the place it failed, along with maybe the prior line.

Less nice would be the 44,4 to be in the first message and break it down as line 44, character 4. More verbosity would be nice.