Brexit, Trump, EU sentiment, China trying to deal with their own problems, they're all pointing to the same way: devalued currencies. Where they start, rising interest start to follow.

I'd also be wary of assuming commercial real estate was a lock-in. I've heard horror stories.

I'm glad it's working for you right now, I'm just saying: make sure you tread carefully and have done your research before you start gearing up.

I don't understand why you say "tread carefully"... when it's the bank bearing all the IRS cost. Plot any LIBOR curve, and you'll see that the bank is the one to lose here. Banks are fighting for customers, and cheap loans and mortgages is the game they are playing. I could go into more detail, but given that I have a 12 month DSRA account in place, I'm quite happy with the investment.

  > but given that I have a 12 month DSRA account in place, I'm quite happy with the investment.

I guess we have different views on how we perceive risk. But that is ok.

But you're right, the OP definitely needs to tread lightly with property and the contracts. The devil is always in the details.

Now sure there are a number of people who don't report and those who wish to work more. But I don't think it's going to be easy to get those people back into work. Most are either in industries that are disappearing due to automation. Or they lack the skills/training to re-educate themselves.

And without tariffs (which will impact exports) there is little chance of US being all that competitive in most industries that compete with Asia (I assume you actually mean China).

That's close to 10 million people who have stopped looking for jobs who we would otherwise expect to have them.

http://qz.com/286213/the-chart-obama-haters-love-most-and-th...

(clickbaity headline, but the contents seem sound)

http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2016/11/erik_hurst_on_w.htm...

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=4CRu

What was your downpayment? Asking because I tried to do the same thing earlier this year. Thought I was clever, did the math on how much I can rent out an apt on AirBnB, and what the mortgage would be on 30 year fixed, and my calcs said I need to put only 5% down to break-even. Then I contact lender and turns out, for Investment properties, they require minimum of 25% to 35% cash as downpayment. They said this was to hedge their risks against a borrower who would bail easily if an investment property goes south.

Any way around this? i.e. around not having to put 25% down on investment RE?

or, like you are implying, I shouldn't have saved any money, and spent it all... fancy cars, exotic vacations, and parties. I guess I gave up one lifestyle to reach another one. We all have different priorities.

I think right now we have a situation were money makes money and selling your labour doesn't, in the average case not in the "I'm a senior engineer at google" case.

I just don't see how this ends well. Workers struggling to get wage rises at all and yet 5% per anum return for those with capital. We've just had Trump and yet here everyone is basically saying "I can get further ahead by playing the system".

It's not looking good.

Many companies, large multinationals to small startups don't want to OWN property. It's capital intensive for them, they want to rent. Does Starbucks own its coffee shops? No. Can't you see how renting property is a service to many?

Stop being apocalyptic simply because someone owns property. Take a chill pill.

We've just had Trump because some people are feeling very left behind. I'm not saying you caused Trump, but I think the system that incorporates rent seeking through land is a big part of it.

Land prices are all consuming, they are taking wages from workers and then rent from net wages of workers. The system as it stands is very efficient at adjusting credit to soak up any gains into banking and land speculators.