I'd highly recommend doing some direct mail to get some leads coming in, if you have the time to go through those leads and get some deals from them.

It was one of many issues that lead to delinquencies.

If you feel that the overall mix of security and income production of a rental property will outperform what your IRA is generating today in conventional assets, then it is a good move. 

Even the battery operated thermostats I have generate calls when the batteries go bad.

I noticed a while ago how many good retail leads go to waste when trying to wholesale in California.

@Brie Schmidt low unemployment isn't a leading factor for a recession, it just so happens that unemployment goes higher in a recession, so the period leading up to a recession ends up looking very low. 

I'm currently in a similar situation and I've started producing leads worth further exploration by finding them in alternative ways to the standard MLS listing.

Walk away from these deal as one plumbing issue is a good indicator that there might be more hidden plumbing issues which can lead to this house being a money pit.

They know their markets, provide you with intel you need for your evaluations and do the lead gathering for you.

I studied note investing a few years back and noticed there are other avenues such as annuities and other types of paper that generate a form of cash flow.