Since the last recession and the crash of the housing market, many have taken to blaming millennials for its sluggish recovery. The up-and-coming generation of new homebuyers, after all, has been historically key in the reinvigorating of real estate markets across the country. First-time homebuyers have always been a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Millennials, however, were breaking the pattern—and, in the eyes of many, causing the market to drag. Whether millennials were saddled with too much student debt to save up for a down payment on a home or simply found themselves preferring to rent, the slow buying pace certainly didn’t help market recovery.

Real estate professionals seem to enjoy speculating when millennials will start buying: and as much as we take these predictions with a grain of salt, 2016 just might be the year. The Seattle Times predicts that a third of this years’ homebuyers will be millennials, a modest estimate compared to some, but a definite improvement. The Tennessean reports some realtors have clients that are mostly millennials—upwards of 60%. So given not just these predictions, but mounting evidence to support them, why now? And why not more?

In 2015, Houston was at the center of many spotlights. The one thing that just about every noticed, however, was how much of a roller coaster the oil industry was. Even for the folks who don’t pay attention to oil saw plummeting prices at the gas pumps. The crash of the oil industry prompted a lot of worry and debate throughout the year—the economic future for Houston was on the line.

But how did things really pan out? And more important for real estate investors, how will the oil slump affect Houston real estate going into 2016?

Real estate investing is always exciting. There’s the thrill of achievement, knowing you’re going to take this investment property and do something amazing with it. You’re all set to accelerate your cash flow, expand your portfolio, and get one step closer to realizing your financial dreams.

But as we all know, making a deal doesn’t always come with good excitement. We all have our doubts from time-to-time: is this property going to give me the returns I need? What if there’s a problem no one caught? What if my number or wrong? What if someone outbids me?  

When it comes to sketching out our real estate plan, there can be a lot what ifs and room for worry when it comes to making a real estate investment deal. Even seasoned vets may find themselves getting butterflies from time-to-time.

But you know what? There’s good news. There are things you can trust, no matter what your next deal looks like.

 As real estate investors, we’re always looking for opportunities to secure our financial future. Many of us are using the passive income we gain through our real estate investing to save up for retirement: but have you thought about using your retirement savings to boost your investments and save more in the long run? With a self-directed IRA, you just may be able to do it!

Success in real estate investment doesn’t come overnight. Now matter how passive your income is, it never means you will reach your full potential as an investor if you let go of the reigns. It would be great if that was true, but even the most passive investments demand your attention in some way, even if it’s not direct.

To fully reach your potential, it demands input on your part. While you don’t have to put your hands directly into your real estate investments, you can start setting yourself up for greater success right now. No waiting.

2016 is upon us. Another year under our belts! No matter what kind of year you had, good or bad, you can look upon another chapter with new eyes. A fresh start. The challenges you faced in 2015 can be overcome, and the successes can expand and grow. We don’t know about you, but we’re looking forward to 2016 in a big way.

That said, we know not everyone had a great year. Maybe you’re feeling discouraged, be it in real estate investment, your career, or your private life. Those feelings are very real and it can be hard to look towards the future with optimism: but not impossible. You can rejuvenate your mind with wisdom from great men and women who know where true success lies.

Get reinvigorated by these inspiring quotes about success!

Ahhh. There’s nothing like a shiny new year to reinvigorate the spirit! Even if your 2015 was less-than-satisfactory, now is the time to start the year off on the right foot. To dust yourself off, renew your resolve, and get sh...., umm, get stuff done!  (Kerry Espuga would be frowning at me right now for using non-words like umm!)

If this is the year you’ve chosen to make the leap into real estate investment, great! If you’re a brand new investor, you’ve got a lot of work to do. Some of the biggest mistakes you can make will be right here, in the beginning.

So whether you are experienced or new, there are some steps you can take right now to start your passive investment path on the right foot.  We’ve got a few words of advice here and hope this helps you get going:

Investing in real estate, ideally, is about opportunity. Opportunity to get involved in a myriad of markets, opportunity to earn passive income, to save for retirement, to find financial freedom. This idealized image of investing in real estate is alluring in a real American Dream kind of way, but the reality doesn’t always live up to the dream.

For a long time, investors felt the need to keep their eyes only on the hottest, trendiest markets. San Francisco. New York City. Chicago. DC. They have this glamorous appeal that few other places do, and it’s hard to break free from that particular allure.

But really, the greatest opportunities for most real estate investors aren’t in these markets. Slowly, the real estate investment landscape is shifting to favor secondary and even tertiary markets. They may not have the same glamorous appeal, but these diamonds on the rough offer more than their sparkling sister cities.

The mention of the word budgeting can dry up any conversation in record time. But hey! Finance is important, especially to real estate investors. Budgeting is one of those things we all have to do, no matter how tedious it can be. A solid budget and a close, attentive grasp on your finances is key to success as a real estate investor, after all!

When it comes to money management, there’s no room for cutting corners. In the real estate investment game, no matter what kind of investor you are, the unexpected can throw a wrench in your plans. Anticipating those moments with smart money management and budgeting means that you’ll be able to handle anything that gets thrown your way. As the year winds down, there’s never been a better time to start thinking ahead.

So you want to get started in those whole real estate investment thing: but you’re a little worried about cash. Maybe you’re young and kind of broke. Maybe you just haven’t had the savings rate you would like. You don’t see how you can possibly save the capital you need to get started in the foreseeable future. It’s overwhelming and maybe you just don’t know where the begin!

But hey—there's good news! Many now-successful real estate investors were once in that same boat.

There are savings strategies that yes, demand work and sacrifice, but they will help you build up your capital so you can start investing sooner rather than later.