Reassessing Real Estate Risk

In the late 1990s, everyone wanted to be a daytrader. Today, everyone wants to be a landlord.

And why not? With interest rates at all-time lows, seemingly just about anyone can get an affordable mortgage, buy an apartment building, collect some rent and/or sell the building for a profit.

Clearly, real estate is en vogue. And with the availability of new products, like interest-only mortgages, many people are able to stretch into properties they could otherwise never afford. So folks who know nothing about managing properties are investing tons of money in the sector in hopes of riding the wave and flipping the buildings before the roofs start leaking. ...