Acceptable forms of reserves include cash in checking/savings; investments in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds; a CD; money market account; cash-value in life insurance; and a percentage of vested retirement accounts.#3 As far as DTI, Fannie/Freddie will typically allow up to 45%.

I have also been researching stock investing and current market conditions which intrigues me but seems more risky than real estate. 

My name is Brent and I am another young hopeful who is growing wise to the gains from real estate versus the stock market.

S corporations generally make non-dividenddistributions, which are tax-free, provided the distribution does not exceed the shareholder's stock basis.

If your plan is to not spend much time or effort on education, buy some random property in some random market that you know nothing about but read on BP that it is good, and kick back and watch the rent checks roll in, then you'd be better off buying a low cost stock market index fund IMHO.

Stock options?

I was thinking about learning to trade stocks to hopefully earn enough to get my next rental?

Just another example of "I knew it was time to sell when the shoeshine boy was talking stocks".

Stock market days like today make me feel blessed to have allocated so much of my family's personal savings in cash flowing real estate.

I have been following the Bigger Pockets podcast for quite a while now but always bounced back and forth between the stock market and real estate.