We chose real estate because the people we surveyed in high poverty area and in affordable housing were motivated by owning real estate collectively in their neighborhood. The proximity and tangibility of local commercial/retail real estate motivated their interest in investing. Real estate is a historic hedge against inflation and produces net worth regularly over long-term through the amortization of the underlying debt on the property. See financial action, which details our approach using principles of human-centered design and behavioral economics.

Real estate poses both unique risks and benefits. It is subject to general market conditions, the success of the tenants and their ability to pay their rent, and to an economic downturn as we experienced in 2008-09. It consolidates the investment in one property, which is not a diversified investment. On the positive side, real estate tends to do well in an inflationary environment. Real estate is tangible – you can see the property and its condition daily through the performance of a diverse set of tenants.