By Rebecca Lake, Contributor

Real estate investors may have never had it so good. A classic alternative investment in a volatile stock market, real estate also just got a boost from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with landlords among the biggest winners.

The law's new provisions especially favor rental properties. “Real estate investors have historically been given preferential treatment by the tax code,” says Nick Sher, founder of New York-based Sher & Associates. “All things being equal, 2018 tax reform only enhanced that preferential treatment.”

And there's no shortage of tenants. “Real estate is a strong long-term investment because people will always need housing,” says Ryan Coon, CEO of Rentalutions, a Chicago-based company that provides online tools for landlords. “While the housing boom and bust of a decade ago hurt a lot of overleveraged buyers, we're facing a housing shortage right now, and that scarcity could mean higher rents.” More...