How do the interest rates usually compare between the two?

If I threw the money into SPY, it would be a 104% gain compared to walking away with an 80% gain after fees/commissions.

Rents/Divs go up with inflation, and capital appreciation occurs at an unpredictable rate.Yes, you’re giving up returns compared to direct RE ownership, but you’re gaining piece of mind.You could try note investing too.

No, they are not 100% passive, but NOTHING you do in a REIT, stocks, Bitcoin, or MLM can come close to comparing. 

As long as you stay invested and let your hard earned capital continue to grow, you can pick your spots when a real estate opportunity offers outsized returns comparatively to other investments. 

The softwares that Houston Housing Athority and Harris County Athority are enough to get a good idea on what you'll be making and how your house compare with the others.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

It's a good place for flips; cash flow maybe not so much compared to mainland markets.

For Livermore, the activity is slower compared to the general Bay Area so you would need to be more cautious on picking the right property to flip, and the margin has to be large enough for it to make sense.

This is what is pushing up rental demand for small MF properties that having lower rents, fees, or total move in costs compared to other larger commercial apartment complexes.