I bet you have plenty of examples where you were intimidated by something & have the fear dissolve as you took steps to overcome the intimidation.I look back at all the deals in the past I let go because I didn't have the education on how to recognize opportunity & create a profit, or the ones that I did do & didn't create an additional profit.As far as pulling equity out of your houses, I'm going to plead the 5th & just say that you can grow wealth faster with leverage but be responsible, leverage is a double edged sword.

I was actually beginning to feel a little guilty about even asking the question.

Realtors are also guilty of not being clear what they will & won't do & why.

AG Cooper unravels Triangle real estate bid rigging scheme (See also North Carolina Real Estate Speculator Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging in Real Estate Foreclosure Auctions)This recent Page 1 NC REC article http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us/bulletin/pdf/May2012-Vol43-1.pdf cited a 1998 group of colluding and buying, who were eventually convicted of Sherman Anti-Trust Act violations.

withheld adjudication means they receive probation by the judge without finding the parties guilty which mean no criminal history.

Found not guilty of breach of the lease.

Hell, I've been guilty of that when I haven't bought anything in a while.

If not, you'd at least be guilty of littering.

If you dont feel bad for asking or guilty for trying, then I wouldnt worry about it.

I know I feel more guilty and don't push them as hard than when they were just friends.