While it's true your old home may appreciate, this is gamble much like the stock market and I would not consider this a conservative investing move if these are the only "assets" you have (now if you are sitting on $1M with good liquidity... well different story). 

It definitely felt like a gamble. 

If you want to learn and house hack, that's cool, just make sure you are buying a place that doesn't need obvious cap ex repairs in the near term, or you think it's going to appreciate and you wanna gamble. 

I, too am old enough to have lived through when these adjustable rate loans took you to a worse place than a fixed, however, now it seems no one really considers that an issue, I still say it's something of a gamble.

It's obviously a gamble when you deal directly with the listing agent as they are "making best attempt" to share their fiduciary duties.

Yes, I realize this is a gamble with crappy odds. 

Step one NARPM, step two NARPM, if you can't find any property management company certified by NARPM in the area then its a gamble. 

I see it as a gamble, and not an investment.

Real estate is seldom a short term play - in fact, other than rank speculation in Vegas style gambling, no investment is going to make you rich, or financially independent in a couple of years. 

Not even a bad lead called.I understand that I am supposed to spend 3 months and many mailing campaigns to see results, but it seems like that would be a huge gamble at this point considering there was nothing to show for the first round.Any thoughts on online marketing, auctions, etc?