Are opinions really a dime a dozen?

They say opinions are like belly buttons...everybody has one. When it comes to real estate forecasts you could probably get a dozen for a nickel. The kind that really bother me the most come from non-industry armchair quarterbacks. I've seen investors abandon the very market that has enabled them to retire early because their brother read that real estate is going nowhere but down. Opportunity lost, thanks to brother Bob. I have two suggestions...To the person with the dreams and the desire: talk to a professional. To Bob: please do not give unqualified advice, whether that be financial, medical, legal, etc. Do I really expect to stop people from communicating their opinions? No. People will always have a bellybutton...mine's an innie.