Whether you are thinking about investing in real estate or have been investing for years, Real Estate Investors Associations, can be an extremely valuable source of information. You like to cherry pick what an ideal investor in stocks COULD have been in to make money during down periods, but let's look at the research of what the average investor does in the market, and all the research shows that individual investors almost always under performs the market.
But when those same people complain that they can't seem to get ahead, or they'll never achieve financial independence because of X, Y, or Z, it gets tiresome to listen to. I fully admit real estate isn't for everyone, but I do believe there IS something out there for everyone - whether it's a side hustle, or better job, or new degree - that will help them break out of their financial rut.



Investing through your SMSF may be an option, though keep in mind that super fund rules and regulations around profits, investments and taxation can be complicated and change frequently so this requires advice from a suitably qualified financial planner.
This is a great way for many people to enjoy the luxury of a vacation property without absorbing all of the expenses involved in owning a vacation property as the rentals will help compensate some of the costs when the owners (investors) are not in residence.

It creates direct connections between a large number of investors and real estate developers and thus opens an asset class - which was traditionally only accessible to institutional investors and high net worth individuals - to private investors who can invest as little as 50 EUR.
Paying a professional property manager to handle all of these things on your behalf will not only mean you get the best outcome for your rental property in terms of a good tenant and the best possible returns, but it will also give you something just as valuable as money when it comes to investing - time.
The good thing is that since the great recession banks are going to limit your ability to borrow against investment property to really no more than 80% of the market value (and that is generous), and even then they are going to make sure that you have a debt coverage ratio of 1.20 or higher.

Secondly, I did not want to be a trader and have to be tied to the whims of the market with my wealth (cash flows), change in real estate markets are glacial, Detroit's decline was 20 years in the making, it's Real Estate Investing like a slow moving train, but if you are a student of history, after the great depression the public equity markets languished until WWII, 2000-2014 was a lost decade, that can absolutely happen again.
The Chinese invest heavily in real estate in the United States and they are quite knowledgeable about properties in the US. Thus, before jumping on to the sale transaction, make sure you know the various requirements that a Chinese buyer might look for and are up to fulfilling such requirements.