Then again, according to the butterfly effect, had I invested those funds instead of buying a car, I could be writing this today wishing I had never invested into some bad stocks or something and instead just bought a sports car - who knows.Of course, that's what is interesting about the "woulda, coulda, shouldas" of life, sometimes they may not have been the grand successes they were had we taken different approaches - hindsight is always 20/20.  

My son has the genes but never had any interest in sports. 

I don't play golf....I don't go to sporting events very often....not part of a men's drinking/bar group.  

Add to that all the amusement parks, zoos, ocean, sports teams and venues, shopping, etc. and it's probably one of the top destinations for vacation getaways, as it's a very well rounded draw. 

Fix the foundation, button up the outside and let it go to tax sale in 2 years and gamble on the overage.  

The sexy areas are a gamble on appreciation, I'd look for cash flow.I'm in Houston and can't touch anything within a 5 mile radius of my house where rent numbers work.

Buying for appreciation is not "investing", it's speculation (read: gambling).

REI is just like Poker. ..not because I think of it as gambling.  

We don't drink, smoke or gamble so that helps, lol.

Bikes that sell as low as $100 to $500 as mass-market bikes (sold by such chains as Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Walmart) have mostly sold out.