With mortgage rates close to 7% and generally soft homebuying sentiment, strength in existing home sales is unlikely to be sustained," said Alice Zheng, an economist at Citigroup.

.-- The biggest indicator of turning public sentiment was just last month, in December, when voters in Woodland Park approved a ban on vacation rentals that also appears to NOT grandfather in existing licensed properties. 

Given the sentiment towards STRs, even if it looks like it's going to be a safe market, that can change quickly and dramatically as we've all seen.

.: I used to have S8 properties and for the most part I agree with your sentiment: it doesn't have to be as bad as the stigma around it might lead one to believe.

It seems like in her interview with Sharon, she was also mentioning something about having sellers screen themselves for her and even send her pictures of properties.I know that there seems to be an anti-guru, anti-course sentiment here. $1,200 is a lot of money but I could easily lose that much by not doing a direct mail campaign properly or by not getting a great deal when I buy.Any thoughts?

So regardless of "sentiment" towards out-of-state investors you may have received from your work colleague its incorrect. 

People just don't respond the same to the mailers if you don't utilize the correct cotton fiber content in your paper.Sorry, just gotta chime in here and say THANK YOU to Aaron for putting words to sentiments held so long.

I do generally agree with the sentiment of Austin and the other hosts that fundamentals will always win out in the long run, and this by nature is a long term industry, even the sales side I'm learning.  

Your sentiments are reasonable. 

Part of this is sentimental value (wife's grand father built the house) but I don't want it to be a money loser.