Portalnd is a huge market we currently have 30 homes under construction and 9 flips going.. so we are small fish for sure... over 5,000 new homes will be built in our market this year... but can't complain.I only do JV's anymore I don't actually lend and I am in 12 states and usually have about 100 to 120 projects going in these markets that I fund. 

We could go totally nuts and tell people they're responsible for their own retirement.

What a numb nut!! 

As for me, if I’m home for 3 days in a row I go nuts.

That is how all the subdivision developers around here do it, so I guess it is good enough for a small fish like me.

Todd-Assuming you have no credit card balances or personal loans outstanding (these should be paid for first) you should not need to make extreme changes but it does require you have discretionary capital.If you make $4K a month income and your monthly nut is $3K, then you have $1K in discretionary.

I did exclusively stocks 1992-2004, then added in some real estate (buy and hold, self managed) about 2004 to present and it was like becoming a different species (like a fish suddenly becoming a land animal)...Whole different ball game.

"Making" it in America....I would equate it to fishing with dynamite. 

That is going to be a hard nut to crack.  

When I retire from the military...I want to go fishing!