America is the Land of Opportunity. It is the land of capitalism. Everyone here has the opportunity to make his or her livelihood better, including you. There's no better opportunity to turn your dreams into a reality than right here, right now. The American Dream requires a tremendous amount of sacrifice, dedication, work ethic and motivation, but it may not be as unattainable as you would think.

Investing in real estate has become a commonality among millions of Americans looking for another stream of income. Just turn on a reality TV show or HGTV and chances are there's a documentary series about house-flipping.

The real estate industry is booming and is a huge topic of conversation among entrepreneurs, investors and soon-to-be self-made millionaires.

What type of investment properties are available?

When you buy an investment property, you can turn the home into either a short-term profit with the idea of flipping the house (buying, fixing/renovating and selling) or turn the property into a long-term profitable idea with a constant flow of monthly income.

Benefits of flipping a home

One of the greatest benefits of the first option, the quick flip, is to be able to increase your cash flow immediately. Then, use that money made from the first flip to buy the next house in the very near future and so on and so on. The money will snowball into bigger and better opportunities for more real estate investments down the road.

Start looking for foreclosures, or even better, houses soon to be foreclosed for both short and long-term investment properties. 

Long-term rental benefits

With the long-term profitability goal, rental income finds its way into the owners' bank account once a month. The downside is that you would have to have a good amount of money saved up for this option because the profit will not be immediate. In other words, you may have to wait some time to see the fruits of your labor.

However, it can have some of the best and most rewarding benefits. Not only would you be receiving money on a monthly basis, but you could later sell the property down the road within the next few years after the house has appreciated in value.

To put it simply, the rent is paying the owner back and helping him or her break even with the investment, and the sale a few years later (if you so choose) could be much more profitable than the immediate sale from the quick flip because the house has increased in price due to the market and the rise in the cost of living.

Even more benefits of buying investment property

Some other great benefits of buying an investment property are tax breaks. The cash flow from the profit you make is tax free. Also, mortgage insurance and expenses are considered tax deductible. You can also get a mortgage for an investment property with very little money down, especially if you're an owner of multiple investment properties.

Next, the housing market is great for the inevitable inflation. As the dollar and the cost of living rises, so does the value for a home. Therefore, the owner can raise the rent payments for the tenants while simultaneously receive lower mortgage payments after a refinance. Mortgage payments actually decrease with inflation. Multiple win-win scenarios present here.  

In summary

The American Dream is not only about becoming wealthy, but having the opportunity to be your own boss. As a real estate owner, you call the shots. You pick the tenants. You set the price of rent. You have the freedom. You have the independence. You make your own schedule. You are in control. You control your own destiny. The sky is the limit.       

Author bio: Danny Margagliano is a guest blogger and real estate expert for the Destin, Florida area, commonly referred to as 30A.  Danny has been an active realtor since 2009. If you are in the market for an investment property, retirement home, or a vacation home in the 30a area, you can reach Danny at 850-830-4747.