Fix-and-flip investments might make for compelling programming on HGTV, but investors prefer buy-and-hold rental properties. A recent Investor Sentiment Survey from RCN Capital demonstrated that rentals were the most popular of the three types of residential real estate investments.

Axios reports that the real estate market is rising from the dead as buyers and sellers make peace with challenging market conditions. Trends currently reflect increasing sales volume and much-needed signs of life.

There’s a wide variety of ways to invest in real estate. And we can tell you from experience that not all those ways are equal. Nothing has made that more apparent than the comparison between buy-and-hold rental investors and house-flippers in today’s economic landscape.

There are many, many different types of real estate investments. When it comes down to residential real estate, there are some pretty distinctive lines. Single-family homes and multifamily properties are just one division, but one differentiation affects how investors invest: those in the fix and flip game and those interested in buy and hold real estate.

What’s the difference?