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2 et's face it: a lot of people have been burned on real estate investments in the past decade. From the homeowner losing his shirt on a rental house that was supposed to provide retirement income, to the firm that had to shutter its doors because they placed too much faith in toxic mortgage-backed securities, the financial crisis has made us all understandably skittish about investing. Just like being burned in any other aspect of life, eventually you have to put yourself out there again if you are going to keep moving forward. ere is evidence that it's starting to happen as we continue our journey towards normalization. While real estate investment opportunities are plentiful, it's not always clear what is viable and what is fool's gold. It takes strategy and due diligence. is month we're going to help with that decision-making process. In this month's cover story, Sandra Lane takes a look at real estate investment as an avenue for profit in this regulatory environment. Her piece, "Housing's Golden Investment or Fairy Tale?" offers a realistic take on the on the best and worst forms of real estate investment at the moment. She makes the case that flexibility as market conditions waver is key to the success of any real estate investment portfolio. Finally, she concludes that although there are positive signs in the market, the recovery may not be as robust as conventional wisdom indicates. After an investment is made in a piece of property, protecting it is paramount. In her piece, "Preying for Payoff," Rebecca B. Walzak shines a light on the most prevalent real estate scams today and how they can spell trouble for servicers trying to enforce their rights over the property. After diagnosing the problem, she offers solutions that will keep the borrower and the servicer as protected as possible from the vultures that would prey on their investments. And while we will always repeat it, it's not just a platitude to us: we highly value your feedback and suggestions as we continue to be your source for the most complete default servicing coverage anywhere. Is there something going on in the market that you would like to see covered? Have an idea for a new type of feature? We're all ears, so drop us a line and let us know how we're doing. Send us an email at editor@dsnews.com or follow us on Twitter @DSNewsDaily and join in on the conversation. Your DS News Editorial Team Investing in Recovery default servicing | in print and online VOL. 12 NO. 8 No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ©2014 REO Publishing LLC All Rights Reserved This publication is intended to provide accurate, authoritative, and detailed information in regard to the subject matter covered. All written materials are disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal advice or other professional services. Under no circumstance should the information contained herein be relied upon as legal advice as it is designed to be a source of information only. strongly encourages the use of qualified attorneys or other qualified experts with regard to the subject matter covered. does not guarantee the accuracy of the information, and is not liable for any damages, losses, or other detriment that may result from the use of these materials. PUBLISHER ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR DESIGN DSNEWS.COM VIDEO EDITOR STAFF WRITERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS COPY EDITORS ADVERTISING DS NEWS BLACK BOOK AND LEGAL LEAGUE 100 SOCIAL MEDIA CIRCULATION Mark Hulme Ashley R. Harris Derek Templeton Jonathon Won Jordan Funderburk Tory Barringer, Krista Franks Brock, Scott Morgan Sandra Lane, Bernie Dimont, Terry Sadowski, Rebecca B. Walzak Alison Rich, Shalene Roberts, Cody Galuardi Robyn Clayton: 214.525.6716 Courtney Coffey: 214.525.6781 Dina Duncan: 214.525.6728 Thomas Griffin: 214.525.6754 David Hoierman: 214.525.6728 Kevin McCrea: 214.525.6756 Jason Myers: 214.525.6760 David Vandecar: 214.525.6745 Kelli Snowgren: 214.525.6786 Blake Stepan Rebecca McDowell f o r m e rl y m a g a z i n e Follow DSNewsDaily on CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING MARKETING DESIGN PRODUCTION Mark Hulme Ed Delgado John Harrison Ernest Gillespie Matt Whiteley Sean Walker Jason Stone Jonathon Won Denis Kashoid Luke Rose FROM OUR DESK

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