……the water softener was constantly cycling causing insane water and salt use.

God forbid if you want to get out when the market softens. 

Got no furnaces, central air, water softeners, snow removal, hail insurance,

If you start mortgaging your existing properties to buy more you can have problems when the economy softens.

A market softening, as far as prices, is noticeable, but we are far away from housing crisis.   

Case study: Michael Gregory's BRR success story on BP.I have several questions, and would be grateful for your wisdom and experience.Purchase Timing: Buy Now, or Wait for CorrectionThe market is softening.

That said, the student rental market is likely to soften up in heavy college towns as numbers drop.Just a thought.

Even now, I've heard rumblings the market there is softening due to so many more properties being built.Simultaneously, I also have a paid-off 18-plex in eastern ND.

I am hearing from larger PM companies (not just my own) that leasing has definitely softened due to increased saturation of apartments in midtown, and this is also the worst time of year to get stuff leased in the midwest (OK, maybe January/February is the worst).I was able to get really good rents and things rented quickly this spring and early summer, but the length of vacancies started getting longer the later we got in the year, and I have a couple units in the same area that have been vacant for 30+ days with rent reductions/concessions coming.  

In addition, individual states often soften the requirements for real estate salespeople and brokers who are licensed in other states, or offer reciprocity.