Real estate offers tangible assets that can appreciate and cash flow, but your IT business could also have growth potential, especially if you find the right help.Considering a Hybrid Approach:Since you’ve got strong systems in place for your online store and rentals, perhaps a hybrid approach might work—slowly transitioning more time into real estate while maintaining a steady presence in your IT business.

You can help with stuff like researching the market, handling social media, or even just being a local presence for out-of-state investors.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control."  2 Timothy 1:7You call yourself a mentor here, so DO BETTER. 

Homes don’t appreciate as quickly, but the military presence here is huge and creates rather unique opportunities.

But if you want access to the benefits that people like me have contributed to, and collectively spent decades and god knows how many millions of dollars building, why would you think you should get access to those items for free? 

God bless

If it is good enough for my local building authority to get permitted, it is good enough for me.In both of these cases, it was the presence or absence of the all mighty built in closet that allowed me to execute these real estate maneuvers. 

You can set to only record motion, the presence of a car, the presence of people or record constantly. 

God willing, mine will be renting.

I do not understand how you could think this is good appreciation, ;appreciation below the inflation rate is not good (at least I do not consider it god).