Tempted to Invest in Real Estate? Read This First

With home values depressed and interest rates low, a lot of folks are beating the drum for real estate investment. "Record affordability provides rare window of opportunity," announces a recent Inman News report on the hottest investment markets. "Housing is back -- beat the crowd!" urges Fortune magazine. Don't get left behind in the interest-rate dust, warns the Mortgage Bankers Association.

So if you have the means and you're tempted to buy property with the aim of renting it out and/or flipping it for a profit, what do you really need to know? We asked seven leading real estate investment bloggers for their best advice on how novices can jump into the game.