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No more tenants, toilets, and trash! Alternatives to being a landlord.
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items If you don't want the hassle of being a landlord, but still want the benefits of investing in real estate, here are some alternatives to consider from private lending to tax liens and beyond.
Sections
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Tax Liens
REITs
Private Lending
Other Alternatives to Real Estate Investing
Tax Liens
I inherited a self-directed IRA from my mom from this company where she owened rental property. Unfortunately, my siblings are not saavy about real estate and made me pull the assets out of the IRA.
Self-Directed IRA Tax Lien Investments
Investopedia is always a good source for basic information about investing whether that's tax liens or stocks or anything else.
Investing in Property Tax Liens
Learn about tax lien investing from Bankrate.com.
Tax Lien Investing: Learn About The Risks And Benefits | Bankrate
Never invest until you've done your due dilligence and understand the risks! This book provides a more than basic understanding of tax liens and tax deeds.
Real Estate Tax Liens & Foreclosure Guide
REITs
Real estate investment trusts can be publicly traded or privately owned. They're a more hands off way to invest in real estate.
This is another site that offers alternatives for investing in real estate.
Fundrise
This is another company for passive investment in real estate. The hook for this site is they claim to build wealth for tenants as well as investors, but from what I've seen so far it's light on the details.
Roots Real Estate Investment Community - Invest With Roots
Here's a video of the pros and cons of investing in REITs over rentals.
I Ditched Real Estate Investing for REITs and Here's Why
Start here to learn about REITs.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) for Beginners
REIT investing guide from industry leading Fidelity.
What is a REIT? | REIT investing guide | Fidelity
Private Lending
Explore the opportunities to invest with private or crowdfunding loans.
I just learned about this site, but I'm considering investing here. The low entry cost to get started, just $100, means I'm not risking much. This company offers fractional investments in private short term notes for real estate development. They claim a 10% average rate of return.
Groundfloor
I haven't pulled the trigger on this yet, but I am investigating the options here as well.
Leading Alternative Investments Platform - Yieldstreet
Another hands-off approach to real estate investing. RealtyMogul offers a number of investing options including REITs, 1031 Exchanges, and private lending.
RealtyMogul.com™ | Real Estate Crowdfunding & Investing
Other Alternatives to Real Estate Investing
I've been loaning the same $150 on Kiva for years now. I will admit, I'm not making money on this investment, but I don't intend to. I consider it charitable contribution. The money keeps getting reinvested into new loans for others who need it, and I pay the lending fees out of that principal. It can be used as a profitable investment, but the charity aspect appeals to me more.
Make a loan, change a life | Kiva
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This book explores alternatives to tradition rental investing.
10 Real Estate Investments: Billboards, Land, More
I knew a guy who owned a storage unit and also did rentals. The storage units made him a lot more than the rentals and were easier to manage.
Investing in Self Storage: Complete Beginners Guide for 2025