It starts with education, then taking those first baby steps to try what it is your going to specialize in.

Replaced carpets with laminate floor ~$5k installed (I assumed hard woods would be too nice for house price and we have a dog + new twin babies)3.

I am having my first baby at the end of the month and want to get out of my 1 bedroom condo.

The key has just been to baby steps.

What is the first baby step you could take towards your dream?  

I had to submit my whole life story, and have my mom come down and provide baby pictures before they would "approve" me.

Baby steps right now but walking gets you somewhere.

You're not entirely off-base with your idea on shorting the market, offering rates substantially lower than your competitors due to your less-desirable area - you will unquestionably find those people who's single point of concern is price, so you'll be able to capitalize on that.

@Joe SplitrockThat's awesome.Congratulations on your new baby.... house is what I ment.What happens when you buy a new property on the same street?

“Passive real estate investors—think young professionals with well-paying day jobs or baby boomer homeowners flush with home equity wealth—in high-priced housing markets are looking beyond their backyards for real estate investing opportunities in lower-priced markets.”Florida, with 366,000 investment homes, leads states with the most homes owned by out-of-state investors.