Typically they have been restricted to Wall Street type products like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

I could get that in a stock market index fund with a whole lot less hassle and risk.If I were to mortgage it (assuming I even could, what with the fractional ownership) it would be 340k purchase with 20% down @ 5.5% = 68k down pmt and 1823/mo (22k/yr) in mortgage costs.

I get one shot at this for the near future.It would be similar to getting a lump sum of cash to invest in the stock market.

They will lend on stock / ETFs / Mutual Funds.

This is a very passive way of getting involved in real estate that provides fixed returns that are usually higher than the stock market.Those are a few ways to get involved in real estate in a more passive role. 

Co-star stock however is up.

It's great for investors, as you can use idle cash to pay down principle and save interest.

My area of expertise is in finance but in stock/equities/commodities and not in real estate so I'm trying to read up as much as possible on the current state of FL real estate.

I have always been interested in financial literacy so I have been looking for a another good investment outside of stocks and bonds.

Lets face it, the real risk is the principle anyways so protecting that is most important.I also have no early payment penalties and often, the ability for the investor to roll into the next deal allowing their capital to be constantly working for them.All loan docs should include the interest rates, loan terms, and payment schedules.