There will be stagflation MSA's, there will be appreciating MSA's, some declining MSA's and some MSA's that will look a lot like iterations of a crash or collapse. 

That is how real investing is done.Read on for more insight...The Real Estate Crash of 2008-2010 caused real estate prices to crash across the country - but didn't affect rent amounts.

If you’re near the Newark airport you can set up a pilot crash pad.

But if you wanted to do an entire project with cash, I'd say you'd not want the entire project cost (purchase + rehab) to exceed 100k so your choice in projects is much more limited and also now if something goes wrong like the GC sucks or the market crashes, you are leveraged out 85% of your entire bankroll.  

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..

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?

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.  

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

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

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