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.

I suspect it was the same way regarding the stock market many years after 1929.

Stocks, Total International Stocks, and Total Bond) so that I have exposure to other investments besides real estate.I know your questions were geared towards notes. 

If these smaller startups can't ever make it to IPO because their funding evaporates, then suddenly there aren't any more people to fund those large down payments.The public ones use stock as substantial percentage of employee compensation, and those employees can't sell fast enough.