I mean, it was a scared industry when I first started and still is so why is it dead now? 

The economy was "front loaded" first from '08' GFC inducing a massive clearing of "dead wood".

When my wife met the new tenants to give them the keys they noticed a dead dear with a tarp over it in the neighbors backyard. 

Those guys are as good as dead.

Dead trees usually have little use.

I gave him some ideas, (OKC, Omaha, parts of TX) and he was dead set on the south.Thought this would be an interesting question that if you want to build a portfolio but only could target homes under 250k to hold as rentals, where would you look? 

So it it was a dead tree you complained about then you have a case. 

Once they get the claim paid a lot of these companies model is to fleece you on the roof.I would not do the HVAC until it is totally dead.

I'm running into the same dead ends.

Cash flow is not dead here it is just really worth looking for in certain areas, and to look for incentives.