To use a metaphor, chainsaws, circular saws, and jig saws are all saws, but they are good at different things and the environments in which they operate have different risks.

Once you are in the air (to stay with the metaphor) and at a decent cruising altitude of 10-15 five star reviews- now you raise your rates a little and start to pay off the accrued debt from furnishing the place.

That's a great metaphor @Jordan Moorhead:more like a mushroom cloud of progressAnd I think your second point about the west being a bit more landlocked with the lake is spot on to answer @Andrew Bissada.  

I apologize for my metaphor, but I’ noticed finding a motivated seller is like asking a girl out that you really like.

You can see how accurate those predictions turned out to be.In the same vein, I believe eliminating tax provisions that benefit specific investments results in a fairer tax system and would require the investment to stand on its own two metaphorical feet resulting in a more efficient marketplace.

But also try to get more info from the realtor. ask him why it has been for so long and and is there something wrong with property  etc etc, or just move on , I typically don't force the gate to open if they want to keep it close  ( metaphorically speaking) Or maybe that's the agent strategy to qualify who he is speaking with and want to test the level of interest or quality of buyer..  

I agree with the baseball and marathon metaphors. 

And, as with anything, you're going to metaphorically stub your toes as you learn the path. 

The biology metaphor was what she understood.

Base hit being a baseball metaphor (I'm not a sports guy and definitely not a baseball guy, so maybe I should avoid baseball metaphors).