Quote from @Paul Gupta: Hi, in California, For jobs requiring a license, there was CSLB (contractor state licensing board) which would give either a General Contractor license, or specialty licenses by trade (~60 specialties such as concrete, welding tile, ) https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classific...My Q: does Maryland and DC area have similar requirements? 

Emergency only.

I don't eat out a lot or go on fancy vacations (I do travel), I don't buy a new car every 4-5 years (I do keep it up, but my first car was ~20 years old when I traded it in this spring). 

Investing does need to be approached more like a business than just a simple stock trade.

so that's the trade off.hope that helps - just giving you some things to think about. 

I kind of traded my 20s for the freedom of not working that started at 41.

Additionally, Gilbert and Chandler have emerged as strong markets for short-term rentals, benefiting from a combination of year-round tourism, a family-friendly atmosphere, and proximity to major attractions.

We have trades we use on jobs and know what they will charge which is often considerably less than what Joe Homeowner would pay for the same job . . . the trades know we will be using them again and again. 

Do you have any equity in you existing home (if you own it) so you can leverage a HELOC to use as an emergency fund?

I've done this so many times it is crazy, so speak with experience.Also in small towns trades can be tricky.