They are like two different muscle groups, so why spend years working out your legs if your goal is to have big arms?

Right now no thanks. ..market is too frothy in my neck of the woods. 

Birmingham is a very popular market, not sure if you're open on Florence and Muscle Shoals, Alabama where we manage.I would be more than glad to help you with insights... we won't just help you find an investment but we can also help you manage it. 

My aim is to not only profit financially but to gain in the process some intangible assets, such as project management skills, getting to know reliable professionals (i.e. realtors, contractors, designers, etc.) for the long-term, getting acquainted with the local market's promises and pitfalls, and basically adding some entrepreneurial muscle going into my next project.My strategy is to go small: find a second-hand apartment in a good location (I don't have enough funds for a GREAT location...); no more than 60-70 m2 (that's about 650-750 f2) to, among other things, lower renovation costs; 1-2 bedrooms, street facing and with a lift (if said apartment is above the second floor); with good bones, i.e., needs only partial renovation.

Huntsville is a very popular market (and there are short direct flights from DC too), but I would encourage you to take a look in Florence and Muscle Shoals, Alabama where we manage.If you are interested in the Shoals area, I can help you with insights regarding economic vibrancy, market dynamics, investment strategy, high-ranking public-school systems, etc... and a turn-key experience by helping you find an investment and managing it too.

Another option would be to hire some day laborers to help out.As I mentioned, the work doesn't require much technical skill (and there are probably lots of useful how-to articles and videos online), it just requires a lot of muscle and physical labor--it's a job where many hands make for lighter work.I'm in your area, so, after it's dried out, if you want me to come take a look and discuss the possible causes and solutions to prevent further flooding, dm me.

I see you are in my neck of the words, the Bay Area.

Best of luck, and feel free to reach out if you have any further questions about Florence or Muscle Shoals, Alabama!

You may have been an indoor employee with air conditioning and a comfortable chair, but sometimes the only work available is being a rough neck in the oil field or some other unpleasant type of hard work. 

Life is such a funny thing sometimes - and I'm right on the opposite side of the fence to some extent here; I'm not necessarily a "big gov't" or "small gov't" guy, but I am a "don't be an unreasonable pain in the *** gov't" guy, and at least in my neck of the woods permitting is a royal PITA for very low value.