We are only looking for ourselves- not doing an inspection for anyone else.Is it as easy as looking for "sawdust" and sticking a screwdriver in rotted wood or does anyone have a few other tips?

Visitors to the museum don't stay in town to hang out with the local hill billy population and sprinkle their tourist dollars on the local businesses.

Take the book with a grain of salt, but keep an open mind as you discover some of the "nuggets" of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book. 

We are in a great starter area, small 2 bed 1 bath homes with a few 3/2's sprinkled in.

Ok so add 1% to interest. add a crap load of monthly  repairs. sprinkle my kid's college fund for reserves and see if it makes sense... lol. 

You just have to realize it's fake and there are tidbits of reality sprinkled in.

I would place a “pay or vacate form” in their mail box and save on the $5 caramel mocha late with sprinkles.

But I don't have magic fairy dust to sprinkle over a problem on a Sunday or at 10PM at night. 

It's still my favorite strategy and the one I use a majority of the time, with a few fix & flips sprinkled in.

I like the technical books more, but will sprinkle in a few of the widely-read conceptual books too to keep my mind working.