I went "full time" immediately and learned to live on less than a grand a month.

Yes, there are turnkey investments where for a few grand you can get into a house.

Bill, I just finished up writing an insurance claim on the south side of Chicago, about 15 minutes from where Kaye lives, where thieves stole two semi tractor trailers (about 80 grand worth) of metals from a metal recycling plant.

Hi everyone,I am based in Grand Rapids, MI, am just getting started in the world of real estate investing, and am currently looking for properties in the area.

A few months later, I refinanced with another lender back up to $125K purchase price at 7% so I'm basically into the property for closing costs and fees; a few grand at the most, but I've captured a solid $75K net equity.

What @Russell Brazil said also, I invest for the very long term and so even a major recession will be a small event in the GRAND scheme of things. 

Earlier this year I structured a VA deal with literally $0 cash to close (except for due diligence inspection costs paid to inspectors hired by the buyer, which are unrelated to the financing and technically optional though still a good idea), the veteran was refunded even their earnest money deposit at the closing table, and we paid down a car loan a few grand with net proceeds from the purchase of a home to boot.Yup, "net proceeds from home purchase" used to pay down a car loan.

Anything over a grand a month in Memphis is big money.

I VOTE VAN not a SUV,, family of 5 is a scramble over seats in a SUV..I'm a grandma bought a Sienna van just for the grand kids.. and what a blessing..fits the car seats and everyone loves it..If she's happy everyone is happy.. 

Not looking good for sure...Diane, I'm happy you got it rented and not saying that this could not be the start of something bigger, but in the grand scheme of things I'm not sure that dropping rent 3% because it took a whole 8 days to rent is really a signal of a real estate catastrophy.