Originally posted by @Greg O'Brien:@Tim Silvers where did you end up and how is it going?

MetroOther developments on the horizon that should continue to lead to the success of the area are Alexandria Virginia’s massive success so far, most notably the completion of the Hazel tunnel in May of 2024, in it’s AlexRenew program to make the Potomac River swimmable and fishable by 2040 (Source), the new Rivana development next to Reston Town Center, which will add a 9 million square foot development to the newly expanded Silver Line Metro, the first Phase including 2.7 million square feet expected to be delivered by 2027 (Source) , and a 8.1 million square foot development from JPG Smith in Potomac Yards Alexandria next to the new Innovation Tech Campus and brand new metro station in the coming years (Source).

BUT...if you're American and can still get loans in the US (the silver lining of having to still file US income taxes while living abroad), then why not use leverage?   

With your budget, depending on where you are working, I'd consider Silver Spring or Hyattsville  

.), businesses or commodities (gold, silver, oil, etc.).

They do not offer every bank or lender out there or the lenders would never get a lead.When I say FDIC what I mean is "Fully Delegated" and not just Full Eagle where FDIC Mortgage banks have better rates (which they do) because  retail it's or wholesale and not selling the loan to meet a branch bucket or Loan officer compensation plan.

There is no silver bullet.

For California, ADU's are still the untapped gold (ok, maybe silver but still) mines that I see a lot of folks leaning into. 

I live in Silver Spring area.

I have broken down 4 key benefits to a retirement account: 1) Compounding interest in the absence of taxation (particularly with a Roth IRA) 2) Ability to self-direct into alternative assets, like real estate, private real estate partnerships/syndications, crypto, gold & silver and other alternative investments. 3) Credit protection (see state specific laws), but generally inherent protections. 4) Upon death, if setup properly, probate avoidance