Instead, I decided to use a process of elimination based on the criteria necessary to achieve financial freedom.Financial FreedomFinancial freedom goes beyond simply replacing your current income; it requires maintaining your current lifestyle for the rest of your life.

Young, educated people will start off wanting the urban, big city lifestyle, but once they have kids, I think they will migrate to places that are safe and have great weather and outdoor activities. 

You are not a sub2, a STR, a commercial real estate, mortgage note, private lender etc. guru / expert.Many of these gurus will sell you on a lifestyle...

A lot of people do it because of the adrenaline it provides them, simply for their love of a go-go-go lifestyle and they enjoy being that go-to person for everything.

This allows me to have a rough sense of how many amenities are nearby and it's often a proxy for livability of an area (assuming one wants to have that car free lifestyle-I appreciate it's not for all).

I found that I have been consciously using the secret most of my life anyway, but now I understand it as a principle to be applied.

Do you want to live in a house(a lifestyle choice) or do you want to be an investor(a financial choice).  

If it is relevant to this financing decision, I am fortunate enough to have a W2 job that, combined with a frugal lifestyle, lets me save $3,000/month currently.

It has provided an amazing lifestyle for me and my family.

I am not confident that traditional retirement accounts that sustain the lifestyle I'd like to live in the future.