I think we may be talking chalk and cheese here.
Difference is I don't have any debt on my US properties/
I am not reliant whatsoever on growth of US properties, though they have doubled plus some. If they fall back to my original purchase prices of 70% I wont be too worried as I wont be accessing equity and I wont be selling. Though if I did decide to sell at purchase prices in 2011 I still get to make money because of the currency play.
US properties crashed 70% in 2007, US markets today have recovered even Detroit, though I would not touch this area.
So what options have you looked at besides LOE?? and how soon would you pull the pin if you went down this route??
Could always go down and reduce debt, and find another market or another strategy.
I agree with you with regards to retiring, most of the investors I know who have retired have gone on to start up businesses related to property, ie mentoring, developing, BA etc etc. and have continued generating income, not reliant on just rents, at the end of the day property does not generally provide high return.
The only thing is you dont want to replace you day job with another job, it makes no sense unless you call the shots and you are enjoying what you do.
MTR