I've been interested in real estate investing on/off over the last two years.  

., FTC, FBI for the last couple of years doesn't mean you are "in the clear".

My last note would be to try to buy 3 or less replacement properties, it makes the exchange much easier and you avoid some additional rules.

Maybe if I was younger it would make more sense, but staying with the method I've used over the last 10 years will only become more refined and efficient.

Some will slip through your fingers, sellers will ghost you, and contracts will fall apart at the last minute.

I can definitely attribute a lot of my success over the last few years due to the connections I made on Bigger Pockets and the things I've just simply learned by listening to and reading all the great info available here!

We paid off our primary home last year and have been slowly getting the courage to jump into the investing market where we live in the Pacific Northwest.

With that said Phoenix had one of the highest home price declines in the last market down turn.  

The last loan we took out I paid back in 10 months. 

We were just really lucky to not have any major issues pop up until last year.