I  live in Detroit and am hoping to find my niche among the numerous opportunities I see here.

Think:  tell all of the people you meet that you are an investor; we constantly ask our numerous tenants to think of us if they hear that a friend or family member is having trouble. 

In the case of real estate, it can be both an equity investment (purchasing an interest) in properties owned) or debt (sharing in a loan), and there are numerous ways that these types of investments can be structured.  

You should check out the Reading Berks Real Estate Investment Club....numerous educators and good group to network with.  

If the question is being asked, the investments are closer to gambles and that 500k is at risk.  

There have been numerous service animals and ESA threads in the past but I have a unique and specific question.A friend of mine who is also a landlord and his property is a 6 unit apartment building in Dania Beach, Florida. 

We offered numerous examples of ways to prove the legitimacy of our operation; if these have been found to be unsatisfactory to you, we would be happy to oblige and offer whatever else it is you feel is necessary to establish such good standing in your opinion.

Sell and find another deal or hold and gamble.

I once had a tenant casually mention numerous properties I owned without him having any prior knowledge.

Rather than waiting for the next round of cuts, I decided to make my exit and climb the next big learning curve that will allow me to design the life I want to lead.One Ultimate Beginner's Guide, a couple of podcasts, numerous blog posts, and a Shia Labeouf "JUST DO IT" video later - here I am!