[wallflower]

My landlord used to vacation in a nice coastal area. For a number of years, he went to the same town, same rental. At one point, the cottage came up for sale. $200k. He dismissed it as too much of a risk for his financial situation at the time. Less than five years later, the boom and bubble in coastal properties had exploded the market value to $600k. For a humble cottage. That regret (he could have bought the cottage and rented to cover) - missing that opportunity is why he purchased multiple properties in an up and coming area before it became the young professional magnet that it is today. He had done quite well for himself, a liberal arts major who has minored quite successfully in real estate.