On the other hand, base hits are a lot easier Real estate/value add opportunities.In all, stocks can help build wealth faster under right conditions but real estate is a more predictable way of building/maintaining it.

After all, it's impossible to predict the future and it could very well be the case that marijuana, even medical marijuana, remains a federally-illegal business for a while, so it's always best to have a backup in case things turn ugly. 

As I predicted in my own post, here I am freshly laid off...but get this, my lay-off created 2 new jobs in Malaysia....now where did I hear that rhetoric about American jobs for American people again.... :( 

For what it's worth, my sister went to Harvard with the intent to be an MD, but decided to go with a more predictable field such as law....went on and graduated from Penn Law in '07, worked for a couple years at a big corporate firm(6-7 days/week).

This allows the seller to be assured of a stated amount of interest over the term as well as a more predictable tax liability schedule.

No, I'm not an advocate at market timing nor am I very good at it (especially with stocks) but with real estate, the cycles move slower and more predictably, and it's easier to tell when things are ridiculously over-inflated (2005-2006) or irrationally under-valued (now).

Joe: I agree with that assessment for our immediate area but when you predict a bounce back or not nationwide you are going to be wrong in some markets and right in others.

I'm sitting on cash hoping that your prediction for the crash is soon, but you make me want to invest now.

I might submit that the best day for him to receive the mailer is the day after he loses his job (or some other life-changing event) which of course is impossible to predict from where we sit. :-)

As an old pro with almost 50 years of personal experience and learned real estate investing and developing from my grandfather and father, I am of the opinion a new real estate and credit bubble is being created just like the one from which the market is trying to emerge.In 2003, I noticed the real estate bubble being created by the then real estate agents and investment amateurs and predicted a major correction.