Hi @Aaron Kinney, I'm thinking portfolio diversification (bla, bla bla!) 

You can expand to other avenues for diversification after you are successful enough and feel ready mentally and financially.A nice plan you should be able to start with is taking advantage of finding your own first home. 

These are the things that are just too hard to predict, thus diversification comes into play.

What a moronic comment from someone clearly oblivious to how Wall St works, how traders make money, the power of compound returns, dividends, tax advantages, index funds, the power of exponential leverage and importance of diversification. 

They can then see the value of setting aside money into a retirement plan where they can actually create measurable results.We also work as a platform provider for many financial advisors who are tuned-into the need for diversification beyond stocks and want their clients with expertise in real estate to be able to invest that way with retirement funds.

Obviously your strengths are in stock investing, but diversification can help you when either market corrects. 

@Mark Ryan PetersonIf you are self-employed and have no full time employees, then taking advantage of a Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA would give you the ability to make significant contributions and reduce your taxes.If you are employed by someone else, or have employees, then your options would be limited in terms of making new contributions.Best to discuss with your CPA.Assuming you can sock away a good amount into a retirement plan, and/or have some previous 401(k)/IRA savings to start with, investing that tax-sheltered money into real estate or related such as mortgage notes could be a good option for diversification of the plan. 

@Caleb Heimsoth take this for what it is but... just last week after discussing some potential deals with a co worker who is well-to-do, he actually admitted he has been looking to invest passively from a diversification standpoint just without all the work.

If you are wanting to solely invest in SD for the time being, you've somewhat taken geographical diversification off the table (although micro diversification across areas in SD is still possible).

Call it diversification...