Thanks.For me: Advisers, Research, Travel, Experience, Boots on the Ground, Internet, and Time.I used to live in FL, I've studied it's markets and market cycles, and I've traveled back multiple times; but still, none of us have a crystal ball.

How will your current tax rate compare to your expected tax rate at the time when you expect to start drawing down the account (crystal ball, anyone?)?

There were a couple great silver light fixtures that were original to the house I was able to save and the old fashioned crystal door knobs, those were my two favorite things that I was able to re-use.

Make sure you have a crystal-clear "why", b/c deals don't just fall into your lap, and you're more likely to give up too soon w/o that "why".Once that's been done, "Are You Dumb Enough to Get Rich?"

In efforts to trigger some Keyword Alerts for other investors near myself, I have added a list of surrounding towns below.Keyword Alerts: Gurnee, Waukegan, Grayslake, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Schaumburg, Crystal Lake, Cary, Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha, Racine.Thank you so much!

Obviously I'm enamored with the idea of timing the market and you keep bringing up sound fundamentals that work regardless of my ability to read my crystal ball.

Thank you Crystal.

Thank you for the insightful feedback @Crystal Smith

I am curious, what does your crystal ball tell you about housing price in San Jose / Bay Area?

Fannie is pretty crystal clear about this distinction.