Well, Donald Trump, who has made billions with such investments, has waxed poetic on the topic.

"It's tangible, it's solid, it's beautiful," he has said. "It's artistic, from my standpoint, and I just love real estate."

Local industry experts, whatever their opinion of the aesthetics, agree that real estate offers a solid investment.

"I feel investing in real property is always a good thing," says Invis mortgage broker Della Dwyer. "The reason: you have bricks and mortar that don't vanish."

And investors don't have to be billionaires to consider this market, she adds.

"Purchasing an investment property is not only for the rich. Anyone - mid-income can buy a property," she says. "You have to have some savings should an investment property be vacant for a month or two, but anyone can buy an investment property.

"And, you can buy with as little as zero down payment. There is a lender out there who just introduced a no-down-payment program for a one-to-four-unit property."

Credit history is an important consideration, but not necessarily a major stumbling block.

"You need to have a good credit rating," says Dwyer. "It doesn't have to be excellent, walk on water - just a good credit rating."

Century 21 real estate broker Dave Olston works with new investors in residential rental properties, as well as those who have purchased several properties over several years.

"If a house is bought as an investment, there are two things to look at," he says. "There is the return of your investment, and the return on your investment."

A two-storey, 1,150-square-foot, standard-model house (common in Barrie) that sold five years ago for approximately $150,000, would generally now sell for more than $200,000, he said.

So, not only would the re-sale provide the difference in costs as a return, there has been five years of equity being built as well, Olston explains.

But when owning such a property, there is also the rental income to consider.

Olston says this is a longer-term consideration, because often the expense of carrying a rental property isn't covered by the rental rates the market can bear initially, so often an investor is partially subsidizing the property for a year or two until the rental rates increase (as they have consistently over the past two years).

"Over the first two years, there is an average negative cash flow of about $100 per month, then you reach a break-even point," Olston says.

"Then, you have a positive cash flow that continues to rise."

Some fortunate investors, however, are able to cover their costs immediately.

New investor Sandra Stewart, a Barrie-based Clarica advisor, decided to give this investment opportunity a try after listening to a presentation Olston recently gave.

The single family south Barrie home she purchased in October is currently paying its own way, she reports. She is intending to sell it in four to six years and use the profit to finance several more properties.

"We're expanding my husband's business from just home renovations to include property management," she explains. "This house is the first step in this transition that will take a few years.

"As well, it is a fairly sound investment option as part of our overall retirement plan."

However, she recognizes that this is not only an investment opportunity, but also a new business that she will assess over the next five years to determine if they want to continue.

Olston agrees that investors in rental properties should recognize that it indeed a new business and should ask themselves some questions about how they want to proceed.

"Someone will buy a condo because they don't want any maintenance," he says citing one option. "All they're responsible for is what goes on inside the unit."

Another approach is to buy a single-family house and rent it to a single family.

"This means minimal involvement, but the owner is still responsible for the entire property," he says.

Depending upon how much involvement an investor wants, purchasing properties close to the college is an option as well.

"You might be able to get an increased return on your investment by renting to students through increased rent, but your involvement would be greater," he explains. "And, typically, the wear and tear on the house would also be greater."

Students also generally rent for only 10 months of the year, he adds.

"You have to ask yourself how much time do you want to spend," he suggests. "It's a trade off."

Dwyer agrees that considering the implications of rental options is essential prior to purchasing.

"How much do they want to invest, are they willing to be landlords or do they need a property manager. Who do they want to rent to? How much do they want to be involved in the day to day maintenance of the properties?" she asks.

For both Olston and Dwyer, the initial consultation is the key to success.

"Barrie is a growth area," Olston acknowledges, speaking to the potential demand of future renters.

Stewart's experience in finding tenants seems to back up Olston's opinion.

"No problem at all," she recalls. "It is a great little house, great area (near schools). The owners moved out on the Sunday, the renters moved in on the Thursday!"

For more information, call Olston at 705-794-9400.