I think this mindset stemmed from my family struggling after the 2008 crash. - 2022-2023 I let my spending get out of my natural comfort zone. - 2024, I’ve been retraining myself to focus on saving & budgeting.Any helpful tips to help balance this?

the homes were selling for 120 to 160k  at that time .. same homes sold for about 20 to 30% higher a decade before.. then as we know Detroit had one of the great crash's and just like your buddy at 3k a home many of these homes went down to the teens etc.. and have just been crawling back I dont believe the values have ever gotten back to their historic peak.. maybe one day.. but not today..

After the 2006 crash, I don’t think you can get interesting options like this anymore but I credit this (along with not spending above what I could actually afford) getting me into real estate and building equity.  

It has been suggested to me that I should wait until after the election because of a crash that is supposedly coming.

In a lot of ways I came up in the 2008 crash and didn't see RE as a viable investment option. 

The Real Estate Crash of 2008-2010 caused real estate prices to crash across the country - but didn't affect rent amounts.

It has gotten harder as housing values have fully recovered from the 2008-2010 real estate crash.

The last crash created ways for banks to help consumers and they are already offering help.

I can give you a crash course in them anytime. 

Its crashing down here and getting worse.