Betting on a strong dollar, lower asset prices, a deflationary environment, and locking in cheap assets with low interest rates by having cash on hand, good credit, and good relationships with lenders now is what I'm going to bank on.I know a lot of people don't agree with this sentiment, but each to their own and I respect all of your opinions. 

A lot of forum members are very knowledgeable in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate sales, wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.Discounts on some products and services are offered to BP members: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/proIf you haven’t been to it already, you might want to check out the BP blog: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/

I know you have a lot of experience, but respectfully disagree.

I am happy to keep her as a tenant because she keeps tidy, pays on time, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t ask for much, and is super nice/respectful.

MelanieHere's well respected and is responsible for helping a lot of folks just like you get started.

I respect your position. 

However if you respect them and develop a relationship, they'll likely serve you better than any alternative. 

Getting access to the property is often difficult/impossible so you'd be buying sight-unseen, and prone to get caught up in the moment of the auction and overpay for such a risk.Also, and this is no small thing, there are potential title issues with buying at a foreclosure sale, and you're buying "as is, where is" with respect to both the property and title. 

However, active listings in Austin and the metro area last month were down by 32% and 24% respectively year-over-year.

A lot of forum members are very knowledgeable in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate sales, wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.Discounts on some products and services are offered to BP members: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/proIf you haven’t been to it already, you might want to check out the BP blog: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/The site has quite a few tools that can be helpful for new members.