Vehicle expenses are one of the major costs to consider, so living nearby helps reduce those expenses and saves you time.

If you want to be completely self-sufficient, you're willing to build an Earthbag home or another building that can be earthquake proofed but can still be run without public utilities, you can spend a ton of money on a well and can have that well water processed to remove contaminated mine crap, you have a great off-road vehicle and you can figure out how to deal with the flooding without redirecting that water onto someone else's land then you can definitely live there.If it's an Investment you're after, give that up.

If I am buying an investment vehicle that I know is going to depreciate, then it doesn't matter what the market does.

No off-street parking = not worth doing MTR unless it meets all of the following: super urban area where no parking is the norm, highly desirable area with a ton of MTR demand, super safe part of the city, and has great public transportation (think NYC, Hoboken NJ, etc.)Unless it meets all of the criteria above, I pass on those opportunities because my MTR will be eliminating the many people that travel with their vehicles.

Deal makers-  development potential, vehicles per day, road ingress egress off highway, signage potential, multiple road accesses, value add potential- housing- trees, boulders, ponds, walkout, views, right side of town, power-line right of ways, etc6.  

I would not envy investors who participate in this vehicle when the team has not track record of success with it. 

One was even about vehicles and not real estate.

Lease options are the vehicle of choice here, until I sort out how to get to the other side of the ceiling imposed by debt to income ratio.

Personal background: Married with no kids, 100% debt free, live a rather tame lifestyle and don't spend large amounts of money, two newer vehicles (2020 & 2024) so no vehicle purchases expected for the next 10 years. 

Just started with a new employer that pays for housing, vehicle, and fuel.