@Michael Bishop Thank you for going into so much depth with this!

Can anybody list some resources that did the following for them:- Sparked interest/passion in personal finance- Changed their outlook on finance/investing- Actually got into the nitty gritty of specific types of investments- Just proved useful when studying personal finance in some other waySome of my favorite personal finance materials so far are:The Four Hour Work Week - Tim FerrisThe Millionaire Next Door - Thomas Stanley + William DankoRich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert KiyosakiFor more in depth study, I look to Coursera courses and of course blogs like BP.  

On the surface, the answer appears to be simple...BUT one will caution that in order to make a true determination, it requires a lot of actual research on a local market/neighborhood and the answer is actually much more in-depth...so take this with a grain of salt..lolClass A- Newer Growth Areas (new construction, rebuilding of infrastructure, core fundamentals reflect strong growth, low unemployment, pro-active government, home prices increasing, vacancy rates decreasing, demand slightly higher than supply, School Districts usually have a 5+ rating, etc.)Class B - Older yet Stable Areas (Little new construction, no major fluctuation in growth or reduction of population, little to no change in employment opportunities or unemployment rates, infrastructure is old yet functional and not being updated, supply and demand are fairly equalized, rental vs home ownership relatively equal, home prices stabilized, School Districts usually have a 3-5 rating, low to moderate crime rates, etc.) 

I personally agree that the government taking over the auto companies, the banks, or any other private institution is absolutely the wrong strategy and the wrong precedent to set for this country, regardless of the depth of the current financial crisis.

But, there is a more in depth pull available to mortgage lenders and credit card companies.

We have to go through this following thing to become colleagues.So,I'll do that so you can PM me and we can discuss this conversation more in depth.

The 19th ward is the current 'gamblers' area.

It is very in depth, but you will become an expert.

Please consult this link for in depth understanding: http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/rentcontrol.htmlJust because a tenant dies does not automatically mean a controlled apartment becomes free market.

I would take their 5 favorite cities and than research them in depth-what kind of landlord laws do they have?