Good discussion. Real Estate isn't for everyone, and it does take more work than index investing, but single-family homes are fairly easy to own and manage (especially with a property management company), compared to apartments or other commercial properties that do take more knowledge and effort. I now own seven single-family homes and spend only a few hours per month keeping the books. As with everything, you need to learn the tricks of the trade before investing in a new asset to improve your results.