Real Estate Investment vs. Stock Market Investment

[Colin White]

Would anyone like to explain to me some of the benefits\drawbacks of both of these types of investments? It seems to me that when starting out, REI seems to require far more money than investment in stocks.

I read the stock market primer on Fool.com and I am curious what you guys think of what they're saying. The overall gist of what I was reading seemed to point to the concept that patience is key and that even small sums of money lead to very large profits after many years when properly invested.

I'm debating whether I should study Real Estate Investment or the stocks.

-Colin