Your biggest issue and area of sensitivity in terms of NPV is going to be the discount rate you apply, which needs to factor in inflation/realistic risk free alternatives for your buyer to invest their money, riskiness of the payments (e.g., is the deal cancellable?

Charles, the condo alternative has appealed to me because I manage my own rentals, work full-time and it is hard to take care of a home too..I really like the concept but it is like a lot of things, some are good and some are not.

How much time is involved in managing the property, legal/financial risk in renting in a litigious society and finally alternative investments for your hard earned dollars.

Before you make an investment, you should look at all the alternatives for your money and should invest in the one that gives you the best rate of return.

I am trying to find out what alternatives exist that would give returns similar or close to that of a rental property.Tom, I understood that C-Corp would be the only way to do this real estate investments via the 401k.

It's cheap for a reason but under the right circumstances it could be a money maker or, alternatively, it could be a value trap.

Somewhere on BP I had a thread or blog about alternate energy.

I have checked on forced place insurance with Proctor and Statebridge but it is very expensive, I'm looking for another alternative.

Your other alternative is to sell and move your business to a different location, perhaps even a different city, that has a pools of customers that fit with your desired business model.If you run an upscale bar in an area that's going down hill, and someone else opens up a dive bar next door and takes all your customers away, you're toast.

It disguises their fear.For any new investors contemplating dropping a few thousand for real estate "education", allow me to offer this alternative:1.