It may be a "guideline", or a "rule".

I've never had a homeowner come to me and say, "I've got this great house in fantastic condition, it has a great tenant and I love owning it!

There is a fantastic flip opportunity by me that has been on the market due to contaminated soil.

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

While I do want to remain within the guidelines of the forum and not solicit business, I do not know how to make myself of value to a potential mentor without some solicitation. 

All,I know this is a difficult question and depends on each investor's needs, but I'm looking for general guidelines for comparing REIT investments to actual real estate.If I can get a nominal 7.7 ROR investing in a basket of REITs, what kind of risk premium should I target for the trouble of being a landlord?

I'm currently working on rental rehab that will give a COC return of 30%+ and negotiating on a flip in a great area with fantastic numbers.  

It has drawn some fantastic comments so far!

Time to build the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Two Great reads, I bought both J.

There isnt much of a guideline to go by on this.