Growing consumer spending over the past 30 years led to rapidly expanding service and financial sectors both of which will now contract for years to come as overcapacity forces players to downsize.Chart 1: US GDP Growth VolatilityThis will again lead to higher corporate earnings volatility which will almost certainly drive P/E ratios lower, making conditions even trickier for equity investors.

The players are changing.

You can waste a lot time on this or you can actually do real estate :)Banks are not going to talk to you unless your a HUGE player and even then you would be buying on QCD - the fact your asking this question tells us your not a huge player - and when I say HUGE player like your one of 10 people in the country who can do this.Auctions are your best bet or pre-foreclosures lists but your not really going to be chatting with the banks much.You can try to create a relationship (which means buying from them over and over) with a broker who handles them.

The middle.....where most people focus......He is a guy trying to establish himself....much like young investors are.....as a player in the contractor game.

I am a Classically trained trumpet player, and I mainly play in local churches, for weddings, and other concert-type venues.

I don't really have any favorite openingsnever was a good player in a lot of ways I was Ignorant.What made my game seem ok as it was described to meI had "Spatial intelligence or ability "For example I was given this book On 13th birthdayhttp://www.bookdepository.com/Bobby-Fischer-Teaches-Chess-Bobby-Fischer/9780923891602 All the problems seemed super simple even though I was just learning the game.

Most real estate is local, so even though this site is great, you have to know who the players are where you are.

., you lose your $1) = $0Probability of winning 0.50, amount won $2 = $1.00total = $0 + $1.00 = $1.00That's called "true odds", which means the game pays out the same as the odds of winning.You almost never actually have that in any casino game.

@Nathan Schuline Many successful real estate investors educate themselves and just surround themselves with like minded people/mentors... the real players ....in real time, in the real world....then just do it... find a way to make it happen!

I soon realize I was better off networking with investors and be a key player in their venture.