Specifically, I want to evaluate a few markets for the purpose of buy-and-hold, cash-flow investment in residential properties (single-family houses or 2- to 4-unit multi-family properties), so I'm curious about the process employed by other investors to assess and contrast a handful of markets when determining where to invest.

But those occupations all require training classes, licensing, and employment agreements with established institutions in order to get started.Now, maybe it’s just because many don’t understand that the word “broker†has several common definitions.

In an effort to protect the consumer, they took away all the consumers' choices.So all the self employed who can't qualify for bank loans anymore can't buy a house because the government is protecting them.Now that's really helping the real estate recovery, isn't it?

Does your employer match your 401k contributions?

As a quasi government agency they can ask for verifications that you will never know about and at closing the borrower signs docs authorizing disclosures, lots of ways to check;Mailing address at post office, utility company, motor vehicle registration, insurance docs, bank account even your employer can report, credit cards, other debtors and more...And it's not just fannie and freddie, but any financial regulator can pull a compliance audit, state banking authorities, FDIC, CFPB, Comptroller of Currency....etc.What constitutes a residence?

I would also say both - Diversification is always a good thing considering today's market volatility.I'm currently only investing in stocks via my employer's 401k match, and taking my additional disposable income as savings toward real estate.On the other hand, if you feel like only one option is available to you, then I would choose the investment you feel more comfortable with, at least until you familiarize yourself with both markets!

Thank you everyone for the input, i would like to add that these real estate strategy s for marking are help me to build capital, I'm a truck driver, and for every-person i recruit i receive a 1 penny for every mile mile driven by my recruit for as long as we are both employed with my company . this is free capitol for investing.So Ive creating bandit signs to help advertise for my 70k-90k a year amazing opportunity.

I have rented my single family house in Georgia to a person who is employed in military.

The LLC would pay 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on all its profit.

I'm not precluding the possibility for the future, in fact will probably end up with a broker's license to employ our own agent down the road.