It all just came crashing down at once.I already cashed in retirement just to keep afloat.

Prior to leaving the USA and the financial crash I had purchased 5 properties and recycled (flipped) another 3 more with good returns.

I'd never use a PC based app, for one when not if the box crashes.  2) only one user at a time and only when you have that PC. 

I have a tenant who called and said this morning he woke up a large crash, and discovered that his glass shower door (the hinged kind) had fallen and shattered all over the floor.This guy has little kids.

I am sure that is not the only one, especially rules in the US that arose from the mortgage crash which you folks did so bad from.

Sure there are deals, but I have known investors who also lost their shirt in the market crash in 08-09. 

I played credit card games to get me by and suffered my own mini recession and market crash much like the Wall St. crash a few years ago.

it seems so hard to believe that anyone didn't see the real estate correction or crash coming like a speeding freight train!

The reason it crashed was its extremely low loan quality (high leverage with low credit scores), non recourse loans and strategic defaulting as the law has been in favor of it.

This area didn't crash hard and has pretty much bounced back to or above previous highs so it isn't the worst bet in the world.Also if you are in it for the long haul in 20 years you can be making crazy amounts of money as rents go up and your payments are fixed, or get paid off.