Investing in property and structures isn't the most obvious way to make money. But with a little guidance, perseverance, and drive, even the beginning investor can stand to earn plenty of return on investment by pursuing opportunities in real estate--especially in today's economy.

Why does today's economy offer such a prime opportunity for the real-estate investor? Because of the massive number of foreclosed homes and quickly-constructed properties that were never sold in the first place, combined with the farther-reaching effects of the housing bust and ensuing recession, housing prices have been depressed to levels not seen in years. That means savings to the new home buyer, and opportunity to the savvy investor. Investing in real estate is an especially good opportunity because it gives you the chance to earn money in two distinct ways. Let's take a look how it all works.

Investing in real estate goes like this: The investor (you) buys a piece of property, often with a structure on it already (though it could be a piece of undeveloped land--that would just leave the investor with the work of building something on it or otherwise making improvements to get a return on his/her investment). Then that investor rents the land out to a tenant, either as a private residence (e.g. house/apartment/condominium) or as a piece of commercial property (e.g. an office building). As the months go by, you, the investor (and now a property owner) get to collect renter's fees from the renter on a regular basis.