Anything that had even a smudge of equity left in it was ate up by 10 offers all well over asking.

I ended up using a HELOC to buy the second house hack, which ate into my profits.

Over the course of a year, my wife and I fixed it up, rented to friends, ate peanut butter and jelly, and did everything we could.

Over the course of a year, my wife and I fixed it up, rented to friends, ate peanut butter and jelly, and did everything we could.

They sued that money to return my deductible and ate the rest.

Over the course of a year, my wife and I fixed it up, rented to friends, ate peanut butter and jelly, and did everything we could.

Hi Chris,When your Father was 18 in 1985, adjusted for inflation that windfall would be about $38,000.Inflation just recently ate up 10% and will probably eat up even more (and I remember when the US Government was sending money out to people freely which is the opposite of inflation, but that was a unique time and  we are not likely to see that ever happen again--so I'm not really looking at that).Where I'm going with this, is do you and your Father believe given say another 35 years, you and he could turn $38,000 into $100,000 (well $100k into whatever inflation adjustment comes out to be)?

I keep hearing raw materials ate still expensive or hard to get right now.

No one bought new trucks, or ate out, or had their hair styled or nails done. 

Eventually her negativity ate away at the marriage, fear of money (and lack thereof) CONSTANTLY caused problems, and it became more and more clear that in her world there was no place for my big ideas.Marriage is a partnership.