I'd have to agree that adverse possession is an illusion.

Leases are an illusion of security.

I don't know what this dale Hensel did to you guys a link would be good to see what your talking about.but I have personally been funding these DCB class mid west for going on two decades.I like B class and strong C for out of state and D and C are only appropriate for locals .. and have repeated this 1000 times on this site.. of course not many listen some do but not many.But this one takes the cake huge volume and rehab money sent and never spent on the rehab.. and fake leases and getting rent money with no tenants or tenant is paying 400 but they are sending you 700.. all this is just to give the illusion of a safe secure investment or other would say a Ponzi..  

@Brian Tisler term leases are an illusion of security.

Sometimes you need to create the illusion for the buyers because not everyone has the same ability to see themselves living in the space (also if you can afford, a little staging would definitely help out some of these spaces).Also, although the landscaping looks cute, the rest looks blah...

Auctions have a way of giving people the illusion that they are getting a great deal when they may not be.

The purchased price and appreciation has to be there or those years of "positive cash flow" people throw out there is just an illusion

However, the more I learn,  I realize just how lucrative real estate investment can be, but I'm under no illusions that it is easy or without risk.

I'll invest in lower areas if i'm presented with a bargain, but am under no illusion that when that property is sold in 20 years, I'm getting no more than I paid for it.

Collateralization is an illusion as far as risk control.