This is my passion, and always has been.Stocks are a gamble.

These investors are banking that they'll make their money back through future appreciation which can be seen as speculation/gambling not investing.

I have seen several Real Estate Investment Clubs in Houston but a lot of them seem questionable as to their authenticity online.

That's gambling IMO.

While that is technically true we have invested money in something, I doubt that would meet most investors definition of an investment.To me an investment generates positive cash flow...that's it (I recognize that others would consider this too narrow a definition, but for me, that is what I care about.)These properties won't cash flow, they are purely an appreciation play and that is closer to gambling than investing...to me.

It's a gamble.

To get a say 30% gain either the price has to go up 30% to 6,110 which is Ponzi scheme or gambling by investors or the S&P earnings has to go up by 47%.S&P average of 4,700 is tech heavy.  

Making the leap from my service business to real estate was a much bigger risk and bigger gamble for me than it would be for you at 19 to make a leap to Real Estate. 

Then it's the gamble of did you get a added 15, 20 or the coveted 30% off added coupon??????

I am fine if anyone wants to speculate on appreciation, but buying a property with a negative cash flow (that loses money) in hopes of future appreciation is nothing more than gambling.