the few ways to make money from real estate,

1, via transformation, ie, to be a builder/developer, or in a smaller scale a fix-up and flipper. This has high barrier to most people, and builders are in pain now.

2, via cash flow and natural appreciation, ie, to be a landlord.

most people don't know how economically manage repairs, don't know how to screen and manage tenants. In any case, this is a sticky business, not any easy cake walk.

(Understood that this is less an problem is one keeps doing one condo/townhouse at a time. But then there is a scale issue.)

3, wholesale to retailer, ie, condo conversion etc

Probably the quickest way to make money, albeit capital intensive. 2005 has seen the most condo conversion. As of now timing is off.

4, speculation, ie, value arbitrage

4.1, do you see a lot of value out there?
4.2, do you see a lot of buyers out there?
4.3, as a small investor, how do you prevent a builder coming in and flood the market with hundreds of new units in any "good" market?

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in truth it's it's a very long term (cycle normally in 10-12 years), sticky (do you want to spend hours and hours in HomeDepot, going court with a couple of bad apple tenants, dealing with this and that snake-oil selling predatory contractors) business...

I understand your intention but I speak with my heart that you are not doing a great service to a lot of people by paint ot pictures of quick and easy and grand money to be picked up...

you really should NOT be posting a lot of promotional articles here,