I will only purchase those companies that have a historical record of raising their dividend each year. I know that a low 2% dividend paying stock is not necessarily bad. It means the company in question is a growth stock, using most of its profits to expand. A growth stock makes up for the lower dividend yield by faster stock appreciation in the marketplace (however, the company will still show a historical record of raising their dividend each year). I will diversify into 3 stocks, right from the get-go, even if it means I start off with as little as 5 shares of each company. I will not pay commission-fees. I will place emphasis on increasing the cash income paid to me from all my stock market retirement investments.
Step 1 is always to determine the fair market value(FMV). As a real estate investor, you can always buy properties at the FMV. My question is why would anybody want to do that? Through careful selection, you can always find properties that are priced below FMV, regardless if they are existing or if they are a preconstruction project. The best way to determine FMV is to work with someone already familiar with the area or determine yourself through local websites showing recent sales histories.