Unfortunately our rural towns have been dying since the 50s/60s - which is sad as there are lots of cool and fascinating places - but it all happens slowly - first a large employer leaves, or maybe there's a farming crisis, tax revenue decreases, then folks with younger kids move away or the younger kids grow up then they immediately leave then never come back, then the schools start to die, then the schools close, then no one wants to live there, then the local hospitals or clinics lose fed or state funds then they close, their workers leave etc. 

@Joe CasizHere’s some sources for market researchZillow and Redfin for historical sales dataDriving the neighborhoods and attending open houses The US census for income and employment data etcMunicipal website for list of employers

He just rolled his employer 401k into his personal Fidelity 401k.

Banks also look at your income, reserves, DTI (debt to income), Employment duration to name a few..

This is very common in tenant landlord issues.

I think (but not sure) that it is more common for a HELOC's rate to just float with no lock period.

I think its a common misconception.

However, you can learn important skills and earn some investing capital along the  way if done right.You’ll also want to start building your “team” for whatever strategy you employ.

Hi Dominique,This is common in life and its not just real estate.  

I've been with this employer for almost 3 years now, but at the beginning of last year I have indulged myself reading and learning how to flip or how to invest in real estate, and listening to the bigger pockets podcast throughout my commute, but I never really took action to make a change for myself to get started.