Spring Real Estate Investing 2011 - Special Report

The glimmer of hope that housing would stage a sustainable comeback this spring has melted with the winter snow, dashing the hopes of sellers again.

Homeownership has long been associated with investment savvy, but the worst real estate recession in decades, as well as potential changes to the mortgage market, may be cause to rework the equation.

Maybe you played too much Monopoly as a child or it’s all the foreclosed properties selling at a deep discount. If you’re thinking about investing in single-family real estate, here's what you need to know.

The group is crawling back to life, say analysts, and is very likely poised for a three- to five-year run for bold and patient investors.

Bargains are thinning out, but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of real estate investors who target small apartment buildings, especially in the Sunbelt.

Returns for equity real estate investment trusts skyrocketed nearly 28 percent each of the last two years. The question for investors is: Can that possibly happen again? Probably not, but a strengthening economy and fund flows could make for a decent year.

The mortgage market is currently mired in policy and politics that could directly affect buyer decisions on Main Street, at a time when the housing market remains in a slump.