@Akeim Fin yes that's a great idea.Once you settle on a few areas for consideration, one of my favorites is just to walk around the neighborhood and see who's out and about and ask their opinions.

I've actually travelled to Pigeon Forge TN and it's one of my favorite states.

If anyone reading this has a favorite thread on these two topics, I'd love to get a link.

Don't worry so much about what she's into it for or what her late husband bought it for or that her favorite poodle, Snookums, used to sleep under that oak tree in the backyard.

It's one of our 8 streams of income and other than real estate one of my favorites. 

What are some of your favorite ways to find deals and why are they your favorite?

Happened here to our favorite RE agent.

you made a lot of good points why not to do this in your argument. opportunity cost, mediocre returns, and my favorite: you made this long descriptive post that took longer to write than to just stick the money in a high yield savings or GOD FORBID an equal weight ETF and actually MAKE money.Not to mention as Jason said, what's the return on equity of the paid off house?

I'm not at all ready to become a real estate professional, I have 4 kids and am working on my Econ BA....very slowly I might add What books are your favorites, the ones that are in your library. 

Charleston is one of my favorite cities.