., slap yourself for saying "sacrifice and gratification" when referring to where you live...do not go down the "Oh I work so hard I deserve this fancy crap that does not actually bring happiness but makes me feel better about myself ;)Now...what I mean is...what you DESERVE is to purchase the freedom to do whatever you want and live wherever you want by not consuming what you make now.   

If lead paint is more than a certain sq ft then you have to use the EPA process for lead based paint cleanup and it can be expensive and time consuming.

I am consumed now by wanting more, learning more and reading more - a new found adult learning experience.

Consumers do not like having to work to get somewhere.

Brandon,If I were you, I would start small and use cash for renovations on a modest property (have your family and you learn the ins and out of the business first!).

A process that is not only time consuming, but may very likely end up costing a few hundred to a few thousand dollars with no guarantee that it would be approved. 

“However, if house prices collapse consumer spending could suffer, via negative impact on wealth, including from exposures to bank shares, which would encourage deleveraging.

If you are renting high end condos or mansions and the economy tanks, your renter pool might move into more modest housing, leaving you with much higher vacancy that you cant afford.

In more modest rent locations the ratio should be very close to 1% to have positive cash flow when investor financed (75% LTV). 

If in CA reporting to the board will get her severely disciplined if she is indeed in the wrong I also think there is a fund that helps return money to swindled consumers, funded by realtor dues.