When REMAX Greater Atlanta went belly up, I remember one of the agents I knew had $25,000 of commissions he couldn't collect.

@Matt BellI didn't even finish reading your post because it made me so angry.  

My WHY was I wanted to be a better husband, a better dad, a better person, create a lifestyle and future that was filled with passion, excitement and joy and so many other things that gave me the "juice" to keep going.As we close out 2016, give yourself the permission to dream and dream big for 2017.If you can create a WHY that has enough emotion and take MASSIVE ACTION to get you from point A to B, in my opinion, you/we can accomplish anything we want.

@Taylor Jennings - there's nothing like a good thick Stout to get the investor juices flowing!

I can remember a time when HUD homes sat forlornly for a while; no longer.My youngest son just purchased his first HUD (will close in several weeks); plans to work on it, live in it and when the time period required by HUD has passed, turn it into a rental and move on to invest in other foreclosures, hoping many of the new investors have gone belly up (or mom has now become so senile he gets all my houses).Gail

It is a business of cash flow and that's why many of those in California that were sold in the past 6-7 years went belly up because the numbers simply didn't add up.SFRs on the other hand, are a better comparison since they have a broader maket.

Focus on Value, Value, Value.Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Unless your regularly buying properties I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze.

Totally right Melissa, that's how I got myself started and got my juices going in REI.  

The juice simply wasn't worth the squeeze if you ask me, and he eventually stopped looking.That being said, I know of another investor who's flipped several hundred homes since the early 2000's, and she's calling and making offers on properties on the MLS all day and finding success.