Hi William, investing in a syndication or fund could be a good fit given your situation.Even if there is a crash, and people downsize, those people will have a need for self-storage, as evidenced by storage occupancy rates during past recessions.

during the 2000s before the crash we got up to about 3 mil a month in lower balance high profit loans and were between 30 to 40 mil out.. we originated all our own loans.. do not trust brokers all my worst deals came from them.. this took about 12 people..

They've seen the peaks and valleys (08 crash and now post covid crash) and they've done unbelievably well investing there. 

PLUS, you are 10x more likely to cause a loss personally from a car crash, a pet bite, an injury at your personal home, etc etc.

We watched City of Detroit properties crash to $500 or less in Class D Neighborhoods.

This will crash and burn eventually when real estate (temporarily) resets itself and reprices the assets down. 

If anything goes wrong, the entire deal comes crashing down.

Today is very different as it is all about the management (and not appreciation) compared to past where management could suck but you still had superior apprecation.This will not crash housing of course but all those "creative" deals where people are paying more than market value are going to realize they have no exit. 

Now reality.. unless your using funds from a super successful business.. most most starting out are not sitting on piles of cash or have family offices.. so debt is the only way to get in the game.Also short term debt were your in and out can work.. but it also can bite you in the butt.. look at all the builders that went down in the crash.

Prices are low and they hit the bottom during the real estate crash.