A couple of times we have run the inspector in as we are finalizing the contract terms and therefore are able to drop or dramatically lower the time for any inspection contingencies (option period in Texas). 

The values of their properties dropped dramatically, which would not have mattered if they were cash flowing, but instead they thought "property values have only gone up for the last 10 years so it can only continue to go up".

Unless something dramatic happens in CA I don't know that there's a lot of hope.  

My number of views on Zillow went up dramatically.

Suppose borrower does not lock because he emails me at 7 pm and I'm not at work.But tomorrow maybe rates get dramatically better because Russia invades Syria and the Dow Jones plummets and Trump actually got elected and everyone on Wall St gets scared and sells stocks to buy safe things like 10 year tnotes and... mortgage backed securities (this is why they are correlated). 

I know investing in an index fund while continuing to add savings would appreciate quickly, but I also know to jumping into REI will fast forward that process dramatically.

They differ dramatically in their rate and terms, so make sure you shop around.

Each one is more dramatic than the previous one.I have learned and survived each one.

For example, replacing a water tank on a $30k house will cost more or less the same as replacing a water tank on a $300k house, though their rent prices will be dramatically different.

Pretty sure he hated it and said that all the other guys interviewing were the most dramatic and immature people out there... you know, because that's what reality TV is all about.