But I’ve also come to recognize that not everyone has the advantages I’ve had in my life.

You finally identified shareholders in this blame-pot:  I think is naive to think "banks will be smart enough to keep their own standards of lending similar to how it currently exists" since bank management has a fiduciary duty to its shareholders.As far back as the early 90s - maybe even earlier, based on how such notions were regarded as settled facts, graduate schools were recognizing that the shareholders' rabid demand of their companies' pursuit of high and increasing short-term profits was completely overtaking any consideration by the corporate managers of this demand of the companies' long-term objectives, wealth creation, service to the market, business reputation,  ...  

I recognize you from Fitness U.

You will be able to recognize it for what it is.

To those of us whom have worked in government for nearly three decades, this is recognized as "progress."

@Steve Babiak  I wondered how that worked.. and I appreciate you straightening me out on that one.the reason this came to the front of my brain is I had a meeting with my accountant this week.as you know I am selling off all my rentals and going to cash.. these were Go zone purchases so the strategy at the time was tax savings when I bought them which worked.. but it looks like I am going to have to recognize over 100k in recapture... and be taxed on that.. and because the homes did not go up in value and I had minimum downs.. and you deduct sales cost there just was not enough cash coming out of these to marry to a 1031 that would replace a million bucks in debt... so your kind of stuck..

I've both invited them to events I've hosted or taken clients to some of their newly built homes all with the intention that they constantly see and recognize my face and eventually know my name. 

My comment on the fiat money system was not just to focus on precious metals as much as to recognize that our money system is not infallible and history has shown money systems such as ours becoming worthless and not too far in the past.

I have never lost a listing or buyer due to not having a nationally recognized brokerage name and in our town most people prefer to support non-franchise small businesses.

Your biggest and costliest mistake was not recognizing that prorated rents and security deposits were not credited to you at closing.