The only time in we had a meaningful drop in prices was in '08.

@Allen LiMark Kohler's book had a more "meaningful" message about it being an extra layer of defense. 

You came into a thread with a non-sequitor and are putting forth advice and cautions, while it is quite clear to anybody with extensive knowledge in this field that you do not have any specific or relevant expertise or background in the field you are speaking of.Bigger Pockets is a fantastic resource, but this type of interjection without foundation is exactly what makes such a site dangerous to those new to a field and looking for information.As experts in this field, Dmitriy and I spend a considerable amount of time and effort providing helpful, relevant and meaningful information on the topic of self-directed retirement plans to the BP community.  

I'm imagining a strategy where you refi upwards every year, extracting equity, and this basically causes your loan payments to keep pace with annually rising rent payments.Conservatively, suppose your lenders require 25% down/equity, and your property appreciates at 4%/year.

Some municipalities post a ton of data online which you can sort and extract for mailings.

Hopefully, now people can find me, if they are so inclinded and we can start some meaningful discussions about commercial real estate.

Chicago is my first choice because it's convenient for my work, a city where I have family, and somewhere where I feel I could cultivate a meaningful social life.

If Christopher pulls money from a HELoC on his primary residence - or even from an equity LoC on another rental - not only would he be putting money {that has been previously paid to acquire the asset from which it is being extracted} down, but he would be paying interest on that money ... so it would be more expensive than using cash-on-hand.

Follow up with them in meaningful ways and they will pay it back. 

My hurdles to overcome before making my first investment include figuring out financing, learning to understand the market I am investing in, and developing an understanding of how to structure partnerships and/or syndications.I am looking forward to making meaningful connections on bigger pockets, and digging into the forums and educations materials available here.