Tim, Do you mean buying precious metals to guard against inflation?

Whatever you do, stick to fixed rate financing for a while as I learned from my grandfather who lost an apartment complex to variable commercial financing on double digit inflation during Carter.

I may not stay a realtor, but I do intend to continue investing in RE, and would most definately use a RE agent.By the way, I have never met an agent who intentially encourages a seller to inflate their asking price.

Barring that having someone who will (do good) work cheap, on the things that are withing their skill level can accomplish the same thing.Even though I lived through the high inflation of the 60s, 70s and 80s I knew that CASH IS KING and paying interest in a sucker's game.

2 % isn't keeping up w/inflation)IRA's..3.5% STILL < REAL inflation #'s(I don't need Greenspan 2 tell me stuff is costing more...I SPEND that $$ he's talking about)Keough accounts, same as IRA's401K's a hair better, & w/matching employer funds, pretty decent...maybe 7%Stock Market....sky's the limit, right?

if you compare them to the past 40 years, and figure for inflation you come out to a couple different conclusions.1.

I know of many types of farms (not organic) in the area (NW IN) that offer maze rides, pick-yourself-vegetables, they sell small decorations, big inflated jumping things for kids (can't remember what they are called, LOL).

When the closing comes around and the real loan application that they filled out appears you have to be focusing in to notice the income is inflated and different than what you gave over the phone.

Q: Who determines what really has to be done, checks the work being done, or checks to see if it is done at all, and that the charge is not inflated?

If you are good enough to make 5K a month wholesaling...what I call the "short money"...you're missing the bigger picture of the real estate business.The long money...the continue cash flow from owning a free and clear rental property whose rents continue rise with inflation...is the big payoff of real estate.Let's get real...if you find properties others are willing to pay you cash for...you just sold away a lot of expertise and effort for pennies on the dollar.Get in this business for real and quit chasing the "fast but short buck".Or at the very least, stop calling it "investing"...Take some words of wisdom from Warren Buffet:We believe that according the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a 'romantic.'