I often get asked how I first started investing in commercial real estate (“CRE”), and of course the next follow up question: “How do I start investing?”    I think the most important facet to begin investing in CRE is to identify what your goals are.  How much do you want to invest and why do you want to invest, is it to build equity; for cash flow purpose; or are you looking for larger future appreciation?  CRE can provide an avenue of long-lasting income; it can help diversify your portfolio, it can offer tax benefits, and by using properly selected real estate strategies, it can produce the potential for appreciation, in addition to cash flow.