I used to be a stock trader, so I feel your pain (or at least high blood pressure).

The only way to make that work is to buy at the right price and know the market both for sales and rentals, but it really does make things better :DI think in the stock market that's called diversification?

I think it is a really bad idea on a moral level to promise something to a next of kin of a dead person that you cant deliver on.

Do you have your own and stock it or do you have some sort of agreement with a vendor?

Do they charge a commision like buying and selling stocks?

In our market, vacancy rates have been low for the past 15 years that I've lived here and the housing stock hasn't increased that much except a few luxury high-rise projects.

I had a government job when I took off on my own, I actually switched gears from expecting to be a stock broker to the mortgage business and RE full time.

Fast forward to the age of 22, when most people are graduating, and have either:1) financed education = student loan debt2) paid cash for educationYou will have impeccable credit, several properties under your belt, and will be on your way to building wealtheither way you slice it, you have tied up your credit(which impacts your capability to borrow), or you have tied up your cash(which impacts your ability to purchase).Rather than paying more for theoretical knowledge, I would get my Sales Assoc license, build credit, open a Roth IRA, educate myself on macro economics, stocks, and the banking system.

Just pull any 100 year term chart on housing, oil, gold, and stock prices and you will see a series of extreme ups and downs.  

Try Home Depot they often have 20% off of in stock cabinets.