We have been working hard to GTFO since that realization, and we're succeeding, flexing our frugality muscles intelligently.To get back to the car payment, my wife and I bought three RAV4s in six years, switching them out like furnace filters.

More importantly do we need more questions like this that are rife with dichotomous thinking, overgeneralization, and negative filtering? 

I am sure many LL have seen the furnace filter of one unit that lasts 4 months when the same unit filter lasted 12 months with a prior tenant. 

This info will give you a decent idea of what to expect and help filter down your search to a few cities.Some of the metrics that I find valuable to understand are:- Population - Home Values- Household Incomes- Rental Vacancy Rate- Homeowner Vacancy Rate- Poverty Rate- Educational Attainment Rate (High School/GED & Bachelors)- Number of Housing Unit- Rent to Income Ratio- Rent to Price Ratio- Population on SNAPS (supplemental nutrition assistance program) percentage- Property Tax Rate- Median Age of Buildings- Number of Structures by Units (SFR, Duplex, Triplex, Quadplex, etc...)- Median Rents by Number of Bedrooms- Unemployment Rate- Employment Sectors Percentages These are just some of the indicators that will help you understand the quality of an area as well as the kinds of returns one is to except.

The realtor app has a crime filter when looking at the map.

Long load times, search returns produce results then when filtered by date return error messages.

Trulia has a really simple value/appreciation/depreciation that can be filtered by number of rooms

Two 8,000 BTUs on one circuit (about 12-13 amps total) doesn't leave much for other things.Window A/Cs have filters just like central A/Cs do. 

You can also switch your filter to "sold" and look at recently sold homes in your area. 

Redfin has an option where you can filter your search for properties last sold so you can do a comparison.