During difficult economic times, fewer people tend to take vacations.

Just had a quarterly Bank advisory meeting for small towns and areas  All technical people are Harding to get.  

You can do the outreach yourself to connect with off market properties or connect with people who can find them(agent, wholesaler).

Some people back in the day used to put aluminum over decent wood siding because it was considered cool and groovy when it came out.

She is a real estate agent but rents so no property to place a lien on.Sorry to hear this but its good that you share this as people only see $ signs when the think seller financing.

The people that run these companies usually come from an "investment banking", real estate, or construction background.

So I would continue to hold the property - but I would be sure not to miss the ability to exempt the gain - so be sure to sell within 5 years.  

I will not be at the NY Real Estate Investors Expo but I'm sure that's a great one for meeting more people in your region!

It has been really educational for me because we have people from all over the US with all types of experience to learn from.

I have often seen many people love the idea of building, but once they figure out the cost, those ideas change.For reference, here in Chicago, you can expect new builds to be between $200-$275/SF depending on MANY factors...that's just a very rough ballpark!