Kinda dicey.My friend's reasoning: I will have a greater equity gain on a house and perhaps a better income (again, renting out my current house instead of the condo).Then there's the other thought of selling the condo now and putting the equity into a cd, gambling that the market will flatten or dip, and buying low.

Never been and I can't gamble yet!

While we make money from advertising, we've chosen to help investors by providing the info and tools they need for free.

So basically if I can invest in LA, I would have but at this moment there is just no way I am going to take on such a big gamble on a slowing market.

All it will take is for you to learn more about your chosen area(s) of interest so just kick back, relax and read through the advice we have here.

Assuming a mosdest gain of 5% appreciation a year after 5 years the home is worth $638,000 and you still owe $500,000.Always remeber that with a Intrest Only loan you are gambling on your home appriciating.

Just do a rough calculation (your cash X 4) to determine if you can even consider getting into commercial properties.Evaluate your cash, do a market analysis for your chosen niche in commerical real estate (gotta have tenants), and then go search interest rates.

Can I consult with a Realtor and pay them a "consultation fee" during this process or would it be better to just let my real estate lawyer (whom I have not chosen yet) be the person to guide me?

The ARM is going to start adjusting, but if you want to gamble and think rates will go down by when the rate starts to re-adjust, an ARM may be for you.

If it's a land locked lot, meaning there is no access to it except through someone elses land, it could be quite a gamble and may pay off big time.