If person X purchased 50 shares of stock at a price of $10.00 per share, their cost basis is $10.00 per share.

This is not a "real estate rental income" activity as defined by the IRS, so whether you are a REP or not, you can take this benefit.All of this is separate from a QOZ Investment, which would require you to first recognize a capital gain from another source (say a stock sale), invest that gain, hold it in a Corporate or Partnership structure (likely partnership), meeting the substantial improvement qualifications of being a QOZB, and then yes, you get to avoid the depreciation recapture at the end of the 10 year hold period, at least for the portion of your investment attributable to the original gain that you invested in the project. 

Whenever you subtract inventory and reduce the housing stock you get the adverse effects you'd expect.  

I've also seen people who squirrel money away and then lose it in the stock market or some other investment like strips or something . 

It's only 3.5% down + closing costs and reserves.Work your day job, mow lawns, leaf cleanup, shovel snow, flip furniture, pick up night shifts waiting tables/bartending, stock shelves at home depot overnight if you hate talking to people or anything else.

I'm not sure if these high tech salaries will continue, some of them get compensated via RSU (Restricted Stock Units) My suggestions were to house hack (if they're still renting) or within a 2 to 3 hour drive.

No real strategy, just wasn't good at the stock market so I tried real estate.

-Although a home appreciates at 4%, it's 4% of 700K, whereas i'm only earning money on 200K with an ETF stock. 

Additionally, absorption reached a four-year high in the latter half of 2023 (93.3 MW), pushing vacancy rates down to a four-year low of just 2.5%.Market Share and Preleasing: Hillsboro’s data center stock now represents 5.1% of the total primary market inventory.

But one argument in favor of refi is that you can get cash at a low interest rate to invest in stocks or other assets.