Real estate investing can be a great idea for several reasons:Potential for Appreciation: Over time, properties often increase in value, allowing investors to build wealth through appreciation.Passive Income: Rental properties can provide a steady stream of passive income, helping to cover expenses and generate cash flow.Tax Benefits: Real estate investors may benefit from various tax deductions, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, and depreciation.Inflation Hedge: Real estate tends to keep pace with or outpace inflation, making it a good hedge against rising costs.Leverage Opportunities: Investors can use financing to purchase properties, allowing them to control larger assets with less capital upfront.Portfolio Diversification: Real estate adds diversification to an investment portfolio, potentially reducing overall risk.Tangible Asset: Unlike stocks or bonds, real estate is a physical asset that you can see and manage, providing a sense of security.Control Over Investment: Investors can influence property value and income through renovations, management decisions, and property improvements.Building Equity: As you pay down a mortgage, you build equity in the property, which can be accessed later through refinancing or selling.Community Impact: Investing in real estate can contribute to community development and improvement, positively impacting neighborhoods.These factors make real estate investing an appealing option for many people looking to grow their wealth and secure their financial future.It really comes down to investing in a growing market, in a good neighborhood & building a great team to support you.

I am asking because I am going through the same decision @Kelly Rao did and trying to figure out what would be the best way to go. 

I was really struggling to decide what investing option to prioritize but I got a lot of clarity from the decision making process in the book, so much so that less than a month after finishing the book, I'm under contract for my next place that aligns with my strategy! 

I prefer to keep all my dealings strictly business, no personal decisions when ever avoidable.

When the male tenant moved out, you should have made decisions about the female tenant.

Hiring a Property ManagerManaging Yourself:Control: You have direct control over tenant selection, maintenance decisions, and overall management style.Cost Savings: You save on property management fees, which can range from 8-12% of monthly rental income.Challenges: Being across the country means responding to emergencies or maintenance issues can be tough.

Any thoughts on if this might be a smart decision or if I should just rent equipment and write-off the costs?

one last note, owning BTC or any other crypto asset is not an “in lieu of” decision.

Most cash flow or door chasers fail to understand this and that's what leads to bad investment decisions.  

Regardless of whether it was the right decision or not, how do you move forward?