Subs are used to working on a busy site but some trades don't mix well and while it may be efficient for you it's not efficient for them. 

Many companies are trading outrageously high due to potential earnings that may never materialize.

I've been considering leaving the trades for a while.   

It depends on labor costs and availability of the various trades in your area, but in LA, retail price to hire a general contractor to do that project would probably be about $250/sqft for the new structure and $100/sqft to remodel the existing structure (down to the studs), plus finishes, fixtures, landscaping and hardscaping.

Think E*Trade with different paperwork capable of investing in real estate, etc. 

Usually these leveraged and index funds are more geared for day trading. http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.asp...Personally I'd probably focus more on diversification if you are concerned about your current RE positions.  

I'm a software engineer by trade, and asking a question on those forums is... well... rough.Anyways, my name's Kavi, I actually don't live in Boston, and my favorite color is blue.

next time I am in town we should grab a beer and trade notes

Whether it is real estate or stocks, I like to keep my powder dry and like to make large investments when there is blood in the streets in the equities market like February 2002, and March 2009 or Atlanta's real estate market in 2012 when equities and real estate prices were trading hands at 1996 prices.  

Almost all people learn their trade/craft from another person, so they are just passing along what they learned.