It was caused by political philosophy gone way bad;  EVERYONE  should own their own home.Sorry, not everyone should own their own home, imho. 

I see real estate as an excellent way to invest my money and someday retire, but I'm also troubled sometimes by the "more, more, more, and more for me" philosophy in REI.

It will differ vastly depending on the individual's financial position and investing philosophy among other factors. 

What else would you expect from a Philosophy major?

Each investor seems to have their own philosophy on what kind of rehab a BRRRR gets versus a flip.  

Each of these CEOs employed basically the philosophy you describe here with unparalleled success (note: Jack Welch is notably NOT among those CEOs who dramatically outperformed to the level of these eight!). 

This is a philosophy I heard first on the BP Podcasts featuring Bryce Stewart.

Just because certain elements that the ideology uses or focuses on change doesn't mean the core philosophy is different.

Originally posted by Mike M: So just plan for the expenses, you will feel much better.I like this philosophy because if I sell a property after any length of time and still have that expense dough I'm a dad-gum genius.OTOH, if I need that money for expenses and have already set it aside and accounted for it in my returns I'm still kinda smart.

Based on your risk tolerance and your own investment philosophy, if it doesn't work for you, then create your own criteria to go by and that makes sense for you.