I went to my first REIA meeting on Thursday night and it was very informational and inspirational.  

Third - just doing some very cursory research brought me to the infamous north Texas squatter story and the obscure Adverse Possession law.  

@Stephen Chittenden, great success story.

I love following your rehab diaries of flips - they are inspiring!

However, there is a difference between a "Rush in Judgment" and years of experience hearing the same sob story over and over again.A "Rush to Judgment" would be someone who see's an applicant get out of the car, who  look like bums and so you assume they won't qualify for your rental. 

I've read up on a number of success stories that involve investments which you can live in for some time and later flip.

I am almost done reading "the book on investing with no and low money down" and it has inspired me to get my career as an investor started.

The Indianapolis Business Journal has a story about the neighborhood in this week's edition (see below) .Hidden Gem:  Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood Drawing Attention (IBJ)http://www.ibj.com/articles/53754-hidden-gem-bates...

Last week on 6/17, my wife and I closed on our first home (2 story townhome built in 1997, 3BR 2.5 BA in the Houston area).

That's what really inspired my original question - has anyone else done this and where do they find the balance between the two efforts?"