Since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the idea of owning property. It seemed to me that most of the wealthy people in my town (Des Moines) owned apartments, land, buildings, strip malls, etc. As I grew, I learned that this was not an isolated fact about Des Moines but a universal truth. Whether they used real estate to build their wealth or simply diversified their investments they earned somewhere else, most rich people own real estate as a part of their investment mix.

If you go to the bookstore and look up the top ten books on how get rich, you'll find that most, if not all, of them will included real estate as a foundation block of wealth. "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and "The Millionaire Next Door" are two examples. If you haven't read them, you've probably heard of them. How do they advise you to build wealth? Well among other things, such as investing in stocks and owning business, they say to invest in real estate.

I bought into this idea and have not been disappointed. My wife and I own and manage nearly 30 residential rental units. This is not a huge amount but it has significantly changed our lives. As we watch our stocks and 401ks plow along lower than they have ever been, our rental properties have increased in value.

Of course owning real estate is risky and has its problems, but what investment or business doesn't? At least I can drive by houses every day if I like. I know they are there. If I get tired of dealing with tenant issues, I can sell. How much control do you have with an investment in the stock market?

I am not saying that you shouldn't invest in stocks. Far from that! What I am saying is that getting some Real Estate in your investment mix can make a huge, positive difference in you your financial future.

Of course, you do need to understand your tolerance for risk. If it is low then you might want avoid investing all together. Life is to short to worry all the time, and health, family and enjoyment of life are far more important than money.

If you do want to proceed with investing in real estate then you will need to educate yourself and that is were I could help.

Any real estate agent can help you buy an investment property but how many of them actually practice what they preach? Believe me, I KNOW the pitfalls of owning real estate! I will always be brutally honest about a potential investment property and managing it your self, should you choose to. I have learned the hard way to screen my potential tenants carefully. I am not an armchair investor. I am in the trenches. If you work with me, you will benefit from every mistake I've made. That's a promise!