This means that we have exhausted all traditional methods of softening a blow of recession.  

The market is finally softening with oil prices coming down, and suspect your market will eventually do the same (not because of oil, but something else).Depending on your strategy you don't want to get stuck with a property you bought high and are underwater.  

Will we get some softening, it's possible and many think the market is due for a correction.

I suppose I could have worded it differently to soften the impact but fail to see any value in whitewashing the facts. 

We had to have the city replace the water meter, after we cut out the old water softener system.  

It was funny in the rental application where it asked for landlord references ... we owned more rental property than our to be landlord :) Anyhow, fast forward a year and we had become familiar with the area, the job was ok, we had been saving like crazy for a larger down payment, as an added bonus the market had softened and prices actually had gone down.

@Wade Stahle if you're waiting for the market to soften, I think it has a little bit if you look at the inventory numbers.

The cost is for a water softener and filter system.

The market could soften, this happens all the time. and your property that you estimated was worth 150K is now only worth 140K.

For me, now that prices have gone past the 2007 high I'm holding off until I find the right value add opportunity or the market softens again.