It isn't as sexy as they thought it would be when dealing with other people's problems.

RE may sound sexy to brag about around the water cooler but it isn't an especially easy way to make more than in the market and not at all passive in my experience. 

For most of us in our fifties, we've been through rates in the teens and still invested.

It’s not sexy, but it keeps you in the game if something goes sideways.Invest the rest strategically — Once you’ve stabilized your first property, look at using the remaining cash for your next deal’s down payment or small rehabs to add value.Avoid rushing to pay off debt early — At your age and interest rates this low, compounding growth and leverage will outpace the guaranteed “return” from paying off a mortgage early.You’re thinking like a real investor already.

If I were doing my first deal today, here’s how I’d play it — not sexy, but smart:🔎 StrategyBuy-and-hold rental in a stable market, not a fixer-upper flip.Why?

In the teens; otherwise, would just invest passively in the stock market instead.

Postage and printing add up fast.Requires consistency — one mailer won’t cut it, you need repeated touches.Virtual WholesalingPros:Potentially easier acquisitions since you can cast a wider net.Ability to enter markets with more deal flow.Cons:Building rapport is harder without face-to-face interaction.Lower spreads and ROI are common.Much higher cancellation rates.Finding buyers is more difficult, and selling properties takes more work.Bottom line: Virtual sounds sexy, but in reality, you often do more work for less money.

The UI doesn't look as sexy as TenantCloud, but it is equally as functional for a smaller landlord like myself.

It's not sexy to say out loud that the 30 year fixed rate conventional loan is the best tool to build wealth in real estate either, but it kind of is...especially for an owner occupied loan.

Common structures I’ve seen:Convertible preferred equity – early investors get a premium return or the option to roll into project equity.Promote kicker – pursuit investors might get a small piece of GP upside once the deal goes vertical.High single-digit to mid-teens pref – depending on risk profile and timeline.Family offices and hospitality-focused private equity groups can sometimes write these smaller early checks, but often want strong reporting and transparency since pre-entitlement risk is real.If you already have a pipeline of 20–90 key projects, building a repeatable structure for pursuit capital can help you scale.Curious—are you targeting more institutional-style equity partners, or open to smaller JV groups / family offices who want a seat early in the process?