I'm a West Coaster considering investing in Bennington, VT or the surrounding area (Albany, Troy, Saratoga, NY).

It's been a roller coaster .. 

In a matter of a month after that first deal the lights came on and the roller coaster took off. 

@Matthew Paul - standard emotional roller coaster, right?

They will push harder as the rates go up, because they will need more customers.Stock market has been on an emotional roller coaster, but the fundamentals are pretty good.

Hello @Case Roos,I'm new to "Real Estate" as an investor, I have my primary residence with equity I'd like to use to buy/hold rentals and then move away from the stock market roller coaster into cash flow + equity in real estate.I'm just trying to find something to jump into and get my feet wet.I'm looking to start by buying and holding in Oregon as it's where I was born n raised, but would eventually like to also buy out of state.Do you do the fixes yourself or have a small team you work with to get it all done?

I am mentally prepared to lose money as that is a risk of investment and it may all work out in the end but it has been a roller coaster of emotions!  

I'm licensed in Ohio (planning to be licensed in Kentucky by end of year), and it was such a roller coaster just taking the test!

And hello @Nathan McQueen, that sounds like a hell of a roller coaster, and glad to hear you bounced back from that.

So the choice inside of retirement accounts is "do I invest in securities and get say 8-12 percent with a roller-coaster at times, or real estate where I can get 12-15% with very little volatility"?