Having retired, I travel across the USA in our RV and stop in the SA area during the winter months to watch over the properties.I've joined BiggerPockets to network and learn and re-learn RE investing.

When you get to the point where you want to retire, you would need income to live off of.

Port is a great retirement lake community with a good mix of first time buyers and downsizers that work for our target properties.

Just holding cash doesn't seem like a viable scenario, because then my retirement will be ruined by the inflation.

One of them stuck with it and retired on the income from her apartments about 10 years ago.If you are investing to gain the admiration of adoring crowds, you can follow the guru model and just pretend you did it and talk about it.If you are investing to provide a secure future for yourself and your family, just roll with it.

I'm still in the "play where I stay" mode meaning that I'm concentrating on the Southpoint area since that's where I live.I'd assume that some of the Northgate and Duke areas would be good stable places based on my limited knowledge.I'm hoping to buy another property later this year.

I am getting tired of the snow and cold and Florida is calling to me for retirement."

The income still rolls in no matter what your asset value is doing unlike people who had to put off retirement when their 401K's and IRA's took a beating in 2008.

Not everyone wants to be Donald Trump - some just want to make a couple extra thousand a month in retirement, and it's just a piece of their retirement planning diversification.And I think the risk also depends on leverage, not just occupancy rates.

Target section 8 or other populations that are a bit more stable but not strong enough to move around.As you analyze low income, plan for higher vacancy rates (10%) and make sure the cash flow works out, because you can't count on much appreciation.