Hind sight is 20/20 they say, and looking back I wish that I had studied investing as hard as I studied other academics.

I'm currently attaining a Masters in Counseling - think academic, not mental health.

Johns is Ponte Vedra High school which is definitely king of the academics in the region for public schools.

Understand your approach, but at the end of the day (assuming we're discussing analysis in support of a BUY vs WALK decision), in my opinion, IRR(Internal Rate of Return) is too academic and the NPV(Net Present Value) has factors one can adjust.We see lots of newbies just learning to calc cash/cash & cap rates and these are sufficient to make the go/no decision, using the K.I.S.S principle.Attempting to add IRR & NPV to the learning curve is not a requirement - - for you, it's another confirmation you're on the right track.

So now this question is purely academic. 

My academic background is in Computer Science and Economics, and my professional background includes having worked in finance, and on multiple software companies from fortune 500s to startups. 

[despite] all the wild projections by academics, Wall Street analysts, and others in the media."

If I were to make it one day I could see myself yearning for those academic goal.

I would think any lawyer worth paying is going to be wise enough not to put all that they've invested in obtaining their license, both financially and academically,  on the line over one deal.  

That picture was actually taken when I was going to meet with Congressional staff to discuss a program/resource I took part in creating for veterans returning and transitioning into the academic environment.In regards to real estate, I am 35 years old, and yes I am hungry, however, I am not young and flashy.