I work in the travel and lifestyle industry in the Greater New York Area although I reside in the Northern New Jersey suburbs.

I read the rise and fall of the Third Reich from the first page to the last.. that was a heavy lift To be fair I did read the books of the day back in my 20s  Think and Grow rich  Dennis Wately  Zig Ziegler Robert SChuler  etc.many of the books you mentioned would just be to basic on concept for me personally so not worth the time simply from myexperience living the real estate lifestyle.   

Originally posted by @Ian Walsh:I would have started with the strategy that fits my personality and built my business around my life and my life around my business.exactly  real estate Niche's most of them are a lifestyle  they are not a job.. the sooner you figure that out the better off you will be.IE home at 5 for dinner  ???   

With a HELOC you could still tap into the equity, but not have to worry about moving, and go to a Midwest city and buy rentals around the $100-200k range per each and just put 20-25% down on them.But overall as everyone said above, it’s important to define your lifestyle goals and then fine how real estate can get you there.

That said, while the trend among the large developments is the all-inclusive approach, there are plenty that aren't interested in paying upwards of $1,000/bedroom or the pool/golf simulator/shiny complex lifestyle. 

Just make sure a house hack is in line with the lifestyle you want to live and will cash flow when you move out.

People either want to keep their comfortable lifestyle, are in a transition phase, or just simply don't take action.

(It happens)Historical appreciation is no guarantee of future appreciationGetting a house for less than asking doesn't mean anything as most homeowners are also bad at gauging true valueSince you are in central Texas, have you looked into Lifestyles Unlimited? 

I pay unusually cheap rent for a lovely apartment in the heart of Cambridge, MA and the more I look around, the more I realize how hard it will be to find that lifestyle and price combination elsewhere.

I pay unusually cheap rent for a lovely apartment in the heart of Cambridge, MA and the more I look around, the more I realize how hard it will be to find that lifestyle and price combination elsewhere.