But it's not true to insinuate that only that golden needle in a haystack landlord can succeed in lower-income neighborhoods. 

The golden days of the DMV are gone (in my opinion).TL;DR: In summary, DC area flat out stinks in comparison to what I'm experiencing here in Vegas (both in terms of appreciation and rent to value% ). 

Follow the "golden rule" of X % equities/ Y % bonds as you get closer to retirement.   

I can see reducing down hours in my golden years for when I choose to work or not.I already do that some now. 

leaving when my current golden handcuffs are offWhy?  

Much of it is nonsense but there are golden nuggets every once in a while (just like any knowledge source).As you mentioned, the value of posting will vary by member.

I did have solid back-up plan or two in case this didn't work out but I unlocked those "golden handcuffs" and now I'm free!

Fun to fantasize about but cannot bring myself to spend a dime on it I think I have a better chance finding the golden ticket to the willie wonka chocolate factory Besides, I have seen several people I know that got severely hooked into gambling when they just merely “had fun” and started to gamble.

My advice is counter-intuitive:  Stay in California if you can, because the real estate is golden. 

Do it like a grocery store, always have one back-up pack of liners and coffee, replace the back-up as needed, not the primary, and you're golden.