gaaaah, how do you speak lovingly to friends (a married couple) who have gotten into real-estate and are pushing some "this apartment-owning opportunity is projected to have ~250% ROI" s̶c̶a̶m̶ project. I mean, it doesn't surprise me since she's been involved in MLMs before and this definitely gives off those vibes. But there are only a couple ways it can go:

① it could actually work, but comes at the cost of gouging residents for obscene amounts,

② potential investors back the project and make a modest amount of money, but nowhere near the projected 250% ROI, still on the wallets of residents who just need a place to live,

③ like other MLM projects, a few fat-cats at the top get fatter, and lower-level investors get bupkis, and residents still lose out paying excessive amounts to this landlord cooperative, or

④ the whole thing is a flop, investors lose out on money, and residents lose out on money *and* a place to live.

The whole thing feels sketchy as heck, but they seem to be all-in on the project. I've given some gentle words of caution. But I don't want to see them (or their kids, ⅘ of whom I've had come through our church nursery) get hurt by this, nor do I want to see others get hurt by them.

😞