You will really need to determine a few things here as others have stated.

Someone has to make up this fee or the swimming pool turns into a beautiful flower garden.In all the rentals that I've had, I would have a hard time in advance determining who are the better people and who are not.

What's the highest debt/income ratio and how do they determine that.

Finding this information will help you determine if you're interested at all.

I also read an analysis a while back that home ownership contributed to the recession.

At that point the only thing people will worry about is survival.....guns and butter.Hyperinflation would make dollars basically worthless too, but I think the chance of that happening in the US is basically zero.Gold has been a good investment for many, but I view it as highly speculative for the very reason you allude to when pondering its value.....it has value but how is that value determined?

The other question I have is about market value determination.

Case in point: you are looking for deed type documents since you are searching for propery ownership.

I think sometimes REI folks try so hard with their own business doing "wraps" and options and all kinds of other unconventional ownership strategies that they tend to think there is more of a market for this than there truly is.

He told me to speak with an attorney and determine just what kind of risk there was and let him know so they could write a suitable policy.