Like with any investment, real estate has inherent risks—and rental vacancies are one of the biggest and baddest.

As a landlord, you face a tricky balance: you want to protect your property, but you also want to avoid lengthy vacancies.

Considering renting out your home for the first time can be both thrilling and nerve-racking. Is it worth it in the long run? Should you sell instead? How much work is it going to take?

Owning a rental property is a great way to earn extra cash each month and even make a living:

Prices matter, especially when it comes to real estate. Just think about how much time you spend at the grocery store debating between name brand and off-brand products—and that's just to save you a couple of cents.

Owning a rental property isn't cheap, but you probably knew that already. Mortgage payments, taxes, insurance—it takes a lot of cash.