I am a avid stock market investor and recently decided to try REI.  

I think many people were expecting and predicting a large shakeout, so that isn't much of a surprise.

I believe, like the stock market, real estate is similar.  

We stopped because the majority of our networth was in property and we wanted to let our stock and bond portfolio catch up a bit.

I currently invest in the stock market but am looking for an outlet where I can really put my investments to work for me, creating a real estate business seems to be a good fit.

It seems like leaving it out would under-value the real estate investment opportunity, especially if you are comparing it to a different asset-class (like stocks) that don't give you that phantom expense write-off .Thoughts?

It is a cloud based brokerage that is publicly traded, agents receive stock in the company.

I used to spend my summers in high school and college working construction for my father's remodeling company, so i guess you can say being a handy man is in my blood.We really interested in investing our money in real estate as opposed to the stock market because our wealth SHOULD be dependent on our passion and abilities over the economy.

If looking purely for investment purposes townhomes and single family homes zoned for short term rental are an option and may provide a more predictable occupancy profile provided it is properly managed. 

Using the card stock paper, I fold the letter only in half. and on the backside, I write out the mailing information.