I then asked him how real estate investing could help and that I know people that are making fortunes and paying little taxes (hoping he would offer some advice), and his answer was laughable, he somehow tried justifying that stroking a check for $400k in taxes is better than real estate investing and this was his response...

One major (like fortune 500 major) business in the area but otherwise all other industry feeds off that business. 

Account Closed I am a big rural fan, and fortunately it doesn't seem to matter what state you're looking at, rural real estate markets will always be pretty affordable and stable.

I enjoy being able to walk my dogs to the fruit stand to get the freshest produce that is locally grown.I feel very fortunate for having found the Bigger Pockets Community.

Also I️ just read a report the other day on fortune that nationally housing supply is stop short, which means we’re probably several years away from meeting that demand.

We’ve been fortunate with tenants so far but you never know when that luck will run out.   

And moving from the tiny to the big: in addition to my own investing I've had the good fortune (?)

I had a woman almost get ripped off on one of my properties with the copied rental advertisement scam, fortunately, I happened to be there working on some things when I noticed her in the backyard.

Unfortunately i got a call saying my house was on fire, and learn that fortunately just the back deck burned down.

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/fortune/2017/11/27/bitcoin-michael-novogratz-40000Bitcoin was about $1000 at the beginning of year 2017.