"Consumerism," and a lack of financial intelligence a number of people have already mentioned is suffocating the middle.  

But if it's an intelligent calculated risk, it's probably worth taking.

I'd say a lot of it went over my head but its awesome to have this amazing community where you can seek out answers and get intelligent, relevant information from people who know what they're talking about and aren't pretentious about it.

Well you certainly sound intelligent enough to have several of these apparently 5% deals.

Book reading yes, but that will take you only to the place where you can talk intelligently with and ask intelligent questions of the people who know what they are doing.  

I am a husband to a wonderful woman and the father to a very intelligent 3 year old daughter.

Many first-time buyers push their luck and like to play chicken with other bidders escalating prices for assets above the threshold of intelligent investments.

people might think this is bad, but if done intelligently, student loans can be an amazing source of financing for investment opportunities.

Also nobody in my family is very financially intelligent, and I'm almost certain that if we did go that route my sisters part of the money would be gone within a few months. 

Let's just say I've exhausted my ability to use intelligent conversation with these two tenants.