The world of real estate can be confusing-- downright scary, even-- for people who are just getting their feet wet. In some respects, it can be similar to a new relationship. When you're just getting started out, you're this mishmash of excited and scared. You have ideas and opinions and are sure to get plenty of "advice" from everyone around you.  You have high hopes, but at the same time, you don't want to get burned. The potential rewards are great, but the potential for disaster can make you gun-shy. She wants to go to the opera; you've already bought tickets to an MMA bout.

When you're first getting started out in the real estate investing game, you're a novice. A newbie. You're green. You're all those things that mean, "I have no idea what I'm doing." And you know what? That's okay.

As we all well know, real estate is cyclical. A buyer's market will eventually become a seller's market...which will eventually become a buyer's market again, and so on and so forth. Supplies rise, supplies fall, the sun rises, and the sun sets. For those looking to make money in real estate, the ability to foresee trends and to capitalize on them at the right time is imperative.  

People with an eye toward retirement have started looking for alternative ways to fund their golden years.  In some cases, they're looking to supplement their current retirement plan, in others to bypass traditional plans altogether.

Sometimes we all need a little bit of motivation. Football players watch Rudy, runners listen to the theme music from Chariots of Fire, and artists stroll the halls of the Louvre to draw inspiration from the masters. Whatever your occupation or field of interest, it's important to stay motivated. The right motivation can keep us from becoming stagnant, which is vital, for stagnation leads to mediocrity.

There's a reason that smoking bans have been so hotly debated, and it's clear to see if one frames the debate in a way that eliminates the smoking preference of either side. For instance:

Do you agree that people have a right to reasonable protection from the unhealthy choices of others?

Do you agree that people have a right to be free from unreasonable intrusion into their personal lives?