In retrospect, my life had just been too much too much for too long.

Obviously at some level of consistent cashflow vs. some rate of appreciation the truth of the better investment will become clear mathematically in retrospect. 

From my research, you cannot retrospectively put the investment in a QOF and reap the tax benefits (can someone confirm?!)

(In retrospect, I still left my job too soon, but I am lucky to have a wife with stable income so I could take a bigger risk)2.

Getting a permit for an ADU in retrospect will probably not be easy.

In retrospect, my advice as a first strategy is to KNOW YOUR LOCAL AREA inside and out and look for property within striking distance that you know is undervalued in some way (whether on or off market)..in parallel, build relationships with people who have money and experience (offer something of use in return for their time/insight)...then, when you get a property either under agreement or think you can be part of a good deal - reach out to a potential teammate to do the deal with. 

I see this all the time working with clients who use turbo tax or have out grown their local HR block/mom and pop tax service in sophistication but, yet they cling on to these service providers trying to save what in retrospect is "pennies," while jumping over "dollars."

I'd like to do a retrospective thread showing all of my decisions, successes, and pitfalls come March when we see our final numbers and have final pictures.

In retrospect almost every deal that someone would have bought then would cashflow like crazy now and have more then doubled their equity. 

Also, in retrospect, this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.