Also going back to your points about E&O and liability, the incompetent agent that has a seller list $50K high who then has to endure 6 months of sitting there and multiple $10K price drops just to get back to baseline has no liability or culpability.  

The founding fathers had a goal of creating enduring and soverign nation.

The aforementioned parties continue to sell insurance with no care for the consequences that landlords endure as a result when making a claim.Do you really want to know how legitimate these companies are?

Rumor also has it that the oil cartel is looking long-term and willing to endure short term pain in the hopes of cutting out projects that will hurt the long-term demand for their oil.

@Nicholas Gray Nicholas, I can't answer your original question because I'm in the earliest, most raw stages of learning about investing but for the sake of moral support, I completely agree with not staying at a job you hate and enduring 40 years of misery for the sake of your salary.

To effectively exploit market variances over the long term, and hence be a real estate investor that endures, it seems like a firm understanding of the industry's economics is important.  

If I can find a good dog sitter for an extended period, I'm thinking of doing my Easy Rider thing (while I still can or endure it).

Endurance, the ability to continue toward your goal even after failure is also required in life and very much in RE.

Ron Cordes, founder of the Cordes Foundation, has defined success as " . . . fully live your purpose in life, and to leave an enduring legacy of having made a difference in the world."  

However, it appears that at least some of the onerous problems you've had to endure are because you signed a contract not good for your financial health (i.e., you likely didn't negotiate well-enough to protect your interest) and/or because of your acquiescence to their bullying.