Just reading some books in interior designing would help.You may also visit some model homes in you area.

I'm guessing there are nearly as many business models as there are real estate companies.

Question for the people who focus on short sales, what's a better business model selling short sale leads, with all the paperwork completed to a realtor, or doing all the work and teaming up with a realtor to spilt the commission they make.I guess my question is where is the money at when doing the short sale.

The power of compounding interest sure would be on the side of the lender model, but there's no chance for capital appreciation over time.

I have a degree in Economics and studied econometrics and have over 20 years of creating predictive models. 

I need a model to follow so I can secure a steady income for the future.

On my website I am creating, I talk all about our model, strategy and how we rent to this group. 

I'd be wary of "lonnie deals" as that model is pretty old and there are a ton of new rules that limit what you can/can't do.

I'd say using Japan as a model might be the best approximation for what we have in store, and I don't see the housing market turning around any time in the next few years.

They want in, but they are scared beyond their minds of vacancies, maintenance, the time value of money and of partnering with local companies only to end up blowing up their business models.