I buy stock out of laziness but am more heavy into cash equivalentsRE is more fun IMO but I am more entrepreneurial.

There is a lot of really poor housing stock out there so you have to keep to your principles and be patient.

@Matt Millard If you take a self directed Roth IRA with checkbook control and buy single family homes at the right price you will beat the pants of any insurance policy or stock out there.

Unlike the stock market, where tens of thousands of analysts are analyzing most every stock out there, real estate is an inefficent market where a determined and savvy investor can search out and exploit market opportunities before the herd discovers them.I feel like there should be an American flag waving behind me right now with the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background, but to me real estate is what America and capitalism are all about: with some hard work, determination, guts and grit _anyone_ can succeed in this great land of opportunity.

But if you're trying a new contractor, it's human nature and expected that they'll want and require some good faith money up front, or after their first day of work onsite.Never pay more than 30% or 33% upfront, and that is ONLY if they have to pay for a lot of stock out of their pockets.

There is no rental stock out there.

You do not choose to invest in stock of say, Apple, with the aim of one day taking that Apple stock out of your IRA to yourself.  

Old housing stock, out of state investor, low asset collateral... all not great attributes.

No I wouldn't worry too much about the knob & tube either. 90% of the housing stock out here has it.

Regularly deal with 100 year old housing stock out here in Cleveland.