You may compare yourself as wealthy relative to others in modern society but other than a few outlier periods and regions the stratification of society has largely stayed the same through our history. 

How do I approach this conversation without being insulting or help them understand that the market has shifted?

When the market shifted, all those borrowers defaulted on their loans.

Start anywhere, then shift once you find a market you actually want to invest in.

Strong interest in green building and business as a means to improve society global environmental impact.   

Also, you can immediately shift to a conventional loan after rehab where if you pay cash, home equity, private money, etc...you need to season the property before you can refi and pull the money.

Set for Life by Scott Trench is a great book for shifting your mindset. 

I put 17 years in before shifting to full time real estate 

I think some markets are shifting. 

Here are a few ideas off the top of my head that I think would provide value and be relatively easy to rank on search:-What strategies are Operators/GPs implementing to adapt to shifting market conditions?