Yeah, I had relocated to Seattle, but the weather there had me so depressed I am going to have to move again.

"Trying your hand" at something (anything) you're inexperienced in is okay as long as you do your research and are prepared ahead of time.If investing causes stress and depression, then it isn't being done correctly.How much did you buy this duplex for, where exactly is it, and what is it worth now?

As time went on we discovered they were less and less stable as the man of the family lost his job, then fell into drinking/depression (they had three kids under 7).

This is the Great Depression and the Recession downturn cycles coming to meet?

so for rental buyers I think recessions are non events.. and keep in mind with BP so many started after the GFC that's their only experience with a recession and the GFC is more of a great depression than a recession.. you can have a recession that does not TANK the entire worlds economy like the GFC did. and they don't last for ever.. next one could last a few quarters or maybe a year.. 

I believe there is a huge difference between a recession and a depression which we were in 2008-12.

Often he gets people who are in debt and who are depressed headed in the right direction. 

People that went thru the great depression were never able to forget that experience and it changed how they thought and lived. 

California is a rough market though with unions, cost of and cartel involvement with labor, insane cost of land, depressed grape prices (over planted), and a general apathy to agriculture by the younger generations my age.

Recessions for one group most certainly will be depression for other groups.