The market is always changing and there will always be adaptations to the current market.

Our biggest stumbling block would be adapting to life in a small house, for who-knows-how-long, until another "dream house" finally turns up.Property 2: Happens to be the house we're renting now.

So that leaves $11,000 (19,000 - 8,000) in unmet budget that is assumed to being payed for by means other than loans.

The drawback is that they're not as geared to investor use as investors would prefer, but again, they're typically adaptable for investor use.

The real benefit of this is that it lets us adapt our product for our needs and customize as needed.

You just have to adapt to stay alive!

Never stop learning and reading. use the resources you find here and adapt them to what you're comfortable with. listen to podcasts and then network like crazy here and at local Reia groups. 

You have to understand how to use it and adapt it to your local market because what works in San Diego will not work in Cody, Wyoming or Morgantown, West Virginia.

That is an incredible tip and a great mindset that I will surely adapt thank you!

On a more serious note, what makes or breaks REI for people is their ability to adapt and to find creative solutions for difficult problems everyone else has deemed impossible.