What is anyone's experience with real estate options?

[rudy45]

What are the advantages/disadvantages/risks compared with "traditional" real estate investing (i.e. owning a multiunit building and collecting rent)? What books/research would you recommend? Thanks.

[Dog Gone]

Own a shopping center, not an apartment complex full of crack addicts.


Economics 101.

[Dog Gone]

Seriously, invest the money instead into a fund that specializes in real estate.

It has done VERY well for me, and I'm not responsible for replacing water heaters, etc.

[rudy45]

which one? thanks.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

The appreciation on single family homes has generally made them a better investment than duplexes or fourplexes and easier to resell.

[KoRn]

"Own a shopping center, not an apartment complex full of crack addicts."

Only if you get govt housing funding for your tenants.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I would stick to homes, ranch-style homes, no more than 3 bedrooms.

Investing in apts are a waste of money unless they're near a university.

[rudy45]

What is the advantage of ranch (?single story?) vs. multistory? Thanks.

[Dog Gone]

No warranty, no recommendation, etc., but this fund has tripled my investment this year. COHEN & STEERS RLTY

Investigate for yourself. Today it lost money.

[Jaysun]

Hello Rudy.

I'm a Real Estate Broker and I hope I can help you with a few pointers. I'd recommend that you stay away from Real Estate investing books in general, because most of them are similar to the shams that you see on television in the middle of the night. However, if I were forced to recommend a book on the subject I'd choose "Real Estate Money Machine" by Wade Cook. I have it in my library and if you're interested in it I'll be happy to give it to you. Just FReepmail me your address and you can have it.

If you need some practical help as to what to do and why I can help you. I'll be happy to give you some advice and point you in the right direction. The answer to the questions you posed depend on a lot of things including your location, resources, and financial goals.

I'll help you and I'll do it for free. Let me know if via private email and I'll try to respond in the next day or two. Real Estate can be a great investment, it can also be a disastrous one. I think I can help you avoid a disaster. God Bless, Jason.

[teenyelliott]

I'm a Real Estate Broker

Are you kidding me? That's what I did before I started staying home with the kids.

Funny.

[Jaysun]

Are you kidding me? That's what I did before I started staying home with the kids.

No kidding. But I just hold an office for several salespeople now, not really selling a lot anymore. I'm more into building houses and trading currency (a few times a week) these days.

[teenyelliott]

I was in commercial, never sold houses, although hubby did years ago. We invest and/or flip houses now, and hubby is an appraiser. I always read the real estate threads around here, every now and then I can offer some good advice.

Currency thing sounds interesting.

[Jaysun]

Currency thing sounds interesting.

It is interesting. I've made more money doing that than anything else. You trade on what is called the Forex Market. It's friggen huge and you can buy and sell almost 24 hours a day (weekends are slow).

The site that I use offers a free game so that you can "paper trade" in real time without costing yourself money. Once you've checked it out let me know. I have my own indicators to use in that market and they've been successful - to the tune of $300K last year.

OANDA FXGame

[teenyelliott]

Very cool. I'll check it out and let you know.