I understand the drawbacks around not building any equity, but as a semi-passive business model being used as a stepping stone to "proper" investing, I think this 100% has some merit. 

Another major factor that helps keep expenses low is I avoided student loans by getting a full ride from merit based scholarships by being a nerd in high school.A lot of my friends (with what I assume are similar paying jobs) are renting nice apartments in trendy areas, buying large houses in the suburbs, getting nice cars and shiny objects, going on what I consider to be lavish vacations, or the biggest financial killer of them all - moving into Manhattan. 

lol) and I think that we should all be judged on our own merits not just all lumped into the "smokers are bad" sterotype.

Now, you have to evaluate each deal on its own merits, but when I look at Phoenix compared to DC, I'm still absolutely amazed by what your Phoenix dollar can buy. 

It is easy to get mislead or to not understand which neighborhoods, or areas within neighborhoods that merit staying away.

It may be an overreach—I’m not arguing the merits either way—but it is not some new power conjured out of thin air.

Can he win on the merits.

I’m buying based on the merits of individual deals, and helping clients meet their investing goals based on their own strategies that work for them, not pretending to be able to predict the future especially in these times.

He thinks he knows everything.If he does not go to college, it will be such a waste (he has a top 1% SAT, 10 AP classes, a 4.2 GPA and an outside school resume that let him meet the senior year national merit scholar points prior to his junior year). 

Hey @Michael Burks,I just ran through some of the comments/replies here, and I have to agree that there is some merit behind the whole "What would you bring to the table" argument.HOWEVER - I would strongly suggest not spending $20,000 to "get woke" or "learn" free information.Here's what I would do:1) Network - use BP, go to REI meetups, etc.