@Brandon Turner What would be cool from a data analysis perspective is if we could plot the number of newbies joining BP over the last 7 years or so.

@Zev Bannett,To make the @ work, do the following: Hold down the shift key and type @?

From an investment perspective, the cost per SF is very high and I do not see them paying back/working well as an investment strategy.

While a street MBA is incredibly valuable, I think the ability to experiment within the confines of an academic institution as well as the ideas that you are exposed to really shifts your perspective.

Does anyone have any experience with EEM and any ideas or strategies on how to fully take advantage of this from an investor's perspective?

The floors are not level - I mean it's slanted from a shift in the foundation.  

The house is incredible from an architectural perspective and it's not too far off from what I would design myself as our dream home.

I'm hoping for some insight on an idea for getting started in NYC. I'm largely basing this off of what a friend of mine did while at University (bought a run-down, but livable house with a group of friends for $75,000...

I know it's hard to switch gears and change strategies when the market shifts, but I wouldn't expect to find any solid "pennies on the dollar" opportunities on the MLS in the near future - it's just a different world now (for the time being, at least).I think you're probably on the right track with pursuing direct mail (whether you wanted to go for land, or your original type of multi family property).

By maintaining relationships with similar investors in my market, I believe I will be able to gain better perspective on the market and potentially buy/sell properties to the other over time (especially if they are an older investor).I lived very close to Germantown for 5 years, it is definitely block-by-block as to which areas are nicer and which are rough.