It's a bummer that the REBGV doesn't provide rental data.Been holding off from investing there cuz I'll most likely lose cash if I invest and rent out there. 

I was not going to lose a good tenant for one that was causing trouble before he even had moved in. 

How high is the risk of losing property to land reclamation?

I don't want to get over leveraged and risk losing anything in another housing crash.

I read that the Gates decision says that if I tear down the old house to build the first two then I lose the capital gains exclusion.My question is: Is there a way to structure an arms-length partnership to buy the house and two lots - allowing the exclusion - but then also allowing me to gain some of the upside of the new home sales?

Hearing stuff about "Lehman Brothers", "Bernie Madoff", and stories from a  a co-worker during college who has been trying to retire since 2000 (but failed due to losing money the dot-com crash, Enron, and the "Great recession") made me skeptical of investment "experts."

A lot of people want to jump both feet in - but without right tools and knowledge in place, we see a lot of them actually lose money.If you goal is to eventually get more and more involved in Real Estate, it's going to take some learning - and Bigger Pockets is a great place to do just do just that.

How am I losing money here?     

I drive my car, run over a Nun and 6 school kids, lose and have judgments, and they can't go after my assets, the "stock" interests I have as personal assets in ownership interests? 

Otherwise its just your word against hers and you will lose in court.