I am assuming this is because the shift in investments from flips to long term hold.

He is probably in a factory right now, working 3rd shift, dust and grease up his nose, let’s write a book with much reality, and give this guy a chanceThe game is not about Real Estate!  

So I will assume the shift key had a malfunction

With a complete understanding of a market you will be able to understand the shifts from buyers to sellers and vice versa and act more quickly than your competitors - Big time advantage!

They just follow what the news is telling them for ( perceived reality) and the herds respond.The poor planners who react are the ones generally having the most negative impacts when things shift and catch them off guard.

During our 12 hour shifts, we are not answering calls and letting go to voicemail and will follow up the next day.

So if you can get yourself a property that can take a 10% shift and still cash flow within your "recession proof" price range, I think you can weather any storm that comes your way. 

Depending on how much/what needs to be done, there is a standard 203(k) [serious renovation] and a limited or streamlined 203(k) [minor renovations up to $35k] Here is a link to more info on the HUD websitehttps://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/WB_FHA203K_09-24-14_REV.PDF

@Brendan L.The rules don't permit the shift of schedule E income generated from a personal property to a retirement account.

Their duties will certainly shift. automation is going to make the buying process far easier and video, VR, 360 cameras and such will make the searching much easier.