Laundromats and Similar Businesses as Real Estate Investments

[Ethan Davis Brackin]

I am a 21 year old would-be investor looking to get into the world of real estate within the next year or two. I already have a general game plan set up but am trying to explore all of my opportunities before committing to any specific strategy. One of these opportunities I have been considering is investing in businesses like laundromats, as they supposedly can produce substantial cash flows (according to an investor I’ve spoken). I have a couple of questions regarding this investing strategy:

1. How much more challenging is getting into cash flow businesses (like a laundromat) than typical investment properties? (As opposed to SFH's or Duplexes, ect.)

2. Is it difficult finding actual businesses to buy? 

3. How long does it take to generate cash flow, and how would the cash flow compare to  “traditional” real estate investing? 

4. What are some other general challenges and things to consider when investing in these kinds of businesses for cash flow? 

Thank you for your time!