Scoping out neighborhoods is a survival tactic for me.Physical signs that I look for -* Dumpsters* Contractors coming and going* Elimination of poverty industry (Check cashing places, title pawns, pawn shops) in favor of more bohemian establishments (Coffee shops, box stores, cafes, etc.)* Clean-up and neighborhoods taking care of themselves.

full time for 2 or 3 years now...i don't have much living expenses, so after my first flip where i made a subtantial amount of money, i decided t do it full time...i have enough rentals and apartments to keep me eating and surviving between flips :)

The brother, as the only surviving heir, is going to be the eventual owner.

Now, some states have different rules for whether HOA liens survive a foreclosure, and you will have to uncover what those rules are for the state where the purchase lies.

At that point the only thing people will worry about is survival.....guns and butter.Hyperinflation would make dollars basically worthless too, but I think the chance of that happening in the US is basically zero.Gold has been a good investment for many, but I view it as highly speculative for the very reason you allude to when pondering its value.....it has value but how is that value determined?

A retirement account is just that: Money for when you retire to help you survive.

Did did a bunch of fix and flips, land contracts, rehabbed and kept a number of small (4-6plexes) multiunit residential, some single family rentals, couple commercial buildings, things went south in about 07, split with my partner to try and survive, worked day and night for another year to regroup and survive, the final collapse in 08, worst year of my life in every regard.

I kept thinking how do these guys even survive to make a living rolling the dice on property buys.

-StevenThanks much Steven - Let me mention that although the Son has a quit claim deed from his Father (the surviving spouse of his Mother), he has not yet recorded it.

Planning for your survival during a downturn is crucial.