In the last 20 years, BA home price quadrapled. Appreciation alone is equal to the SP500 total return. If you account for rent, it can beat SP500 handily.
Greedy is the biggest threat to your net worth. If you have $5M in 1997, you could buy 10 homes in Cupertino in cash. After collecting rent for 20 years and spend all of the rent from 10 homes, your networth today would be $20M.
If you buy 40 Cupertino homes with 25% down in 1997, your networth today would be close to $80M. Give it another 10 years, you’ll have a $100M nest egg easily.
Buy and hold is the safest and easist way to good return. Flippers do not make much in the long run.
Living on rent is much better than living on flipping profit. Flipping could incur a huge loss and wipe off the previous handsome profit