At least that's my perspective...  

From a rental cash flow perspective, however, it seems like less of a slam dunk.

Does this mean that the shift away from home ownership is permanent or just another reason it's delayed?

Make sure any parts of the house that are on slab on grade aren't shifting relative to the main basement foundation (this can be hard to notice if drywall cracks are repaired).

I find that your perspective on it seems accurate from my experiences.

Looking for perspectives on whether REITs are worth investing?

To echo some of the statements here, considering your position with the perspective of where I'm currently at, note investing (investing in mortgages) is a nice way to get into investing with sizable (one might say...bigger?)

You have to put these numbers in perspective.

Sounds to me like REO seller is just trying to shift liability for this payment to the buyer side of the settlement statement.If I understood the facts correctly, whatever it is, it's going to be paid by one of the parties... not a title insurer.

I think you may have your perspective a little skewed.