Before we poured, we sprayed oil on the plywood and form boards to make it easier to take off from the concrete. 

Add a very diversified economy here with banking, insurance, oil and gas, education, three medical schools, 3 law schools, life sciences, DFW airport, and so much more, it looks like the growth just goes on and on.As far as appreciation goes, that's always tough to predict. 

I might use an oil or shellac based primer on that spot before repainting to be more certain of good adhesion. 

Beside RE, am also interested in gas/oil.

I am confident that “Drill Baby Drill” (aka reducing the price of oil, aka reducing everything that is transported) will directly impact the cost of goods thus increasing tenants and buyers purchasing power.

Irony of your analogy is that oil and gas production needs to drill many holes to succeed. 

Rail roads he has got that covered.  ...and restaurants (Dairy Queen), and the Beverage Industry (Coke), and Oil & Gas (Suncor Energy), etc., etc., etc.The other side of the coin is he also missed the .com bubble burst in the late 80's.I tend to feel the same way...if you're going to invest, then invest in something you know.  

Sub $50k houses work well as the snake oil not only for the "distortion by contrast" effect you outlined but also from a basic practical sense in that it's hard to find a lender on that asset class (which would require inspection/appraisal/professional eyeballs on the deal). $50k is also conveniently too big for small claims court but not big enough to interest many lawyers.  

So even the worst of the worst lemons can even be turned into a delicious fruit punch vs this fkry of "notes" where what, what do ya do now, right..... 

I buy a underground lawn sprinkler head , buy the key in a plastic bag with some oil and bury it someplace easy to find .