Q: I have always heard that real estate is the best investment. What kind of real estate is best?
A: The word “investment” used to mean stocks and bonds to most people. Now, to many more, it means real estate.Look at how much homes have appreciated in value recently, and it’s easy to see why. They’ve shot up since 2000, with the average single-family home gaining 50%, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s remarkable if you consider some places have done even better, and during the same time the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index has risen just 15%.