Whether it makes you wealthy or puts you in the poor house all depends on what you put into your properties.

If I had a dollar for every time I received an email or read a post like this, I would not only need to buy RE, but I wouldn't need to do anything else - I'd be independently wealthy!

I am looking forward to being independently wealthy.

@Brian Turnbough that sounds like a dream. i love the idea of it. there has got to be a major payoff emotionally in raising and molding your children to do well or at least decent in life. to be able to work with them and build family wealth is such a great picture to me. i hope all the best for you and your family. 

With academic credentials like that, who could doubt his forecasts ... he is so successful at predicting real estate market cycles that after 26 years of research he still works as a professor :) David, you're a riot :-)Actually he's also a principal at an investment company that manages REITS and likely significantly more wealthy than you and I.http://www.dividendcapital.com

With rents on a 2-bd unit already soaring past $2,000/month in the urban core and hot neighborhoods, investments such as a solar array to appeal to young, wealthy professionals can pay strong dividends for relatively little.For example, if you owned a 50 unit tower with all 1-bd.s in the Ballard neighborhood last year, average vacancy rates stood in the 10% range.

If not, then perhaps I can still find a wealthy person to mortgage at 100%, offer them points and high interest.The entire point of this is just to get in the door to improve the property enough to get conventional mortgage.

Accredited investors are a specific IRS term for more wealthy and knowledgeable investors who need fewer disclosure laws.

I also like @Kris Haskin's idea for helping to justify the raises, and help them understand your not a greedy wealthy fat cat landlord -- as many renter and probably younger people are likely to believe.To hijack a little bit @Patricia Hinojos :Can you talk to me a little bit more about this college rental cycle.  

I kinda get a kick out of seeing all the little people defending the extreme wealthy, as if they truly believe they have a chance to join their country club....just funny....I'm certainly for making big money, having a great life, but that's not the agenda any longer, it's all about money and power, which are practically the same.