What is meant by a real estate investor.

It's a person that purchases Real Estate (homes, land, office buildings, condos etc...) for the purpose of making money.  They can be long term investments or if the market is right, they may purchase distressed properties or properties in poor condition then renovate them to re-sell them for a profit.  If you are thinking about doing something like this, make sure you have a good Realtor.  You will need the expertise.

Any real estate is considered an investment in that the buyer expects the value to appreciate over time.  However, an individual, group or conglomerate who buys commercial or residential real estate  be used for generating income, whether the income is profit from sales or rental income from tenants, is an investor(s).  The real estate could be either vacant land, existing commercial buildings or single and/or multi-family dwellings. 

Plunging housing prices, all time low interest rates, and tax credits are creating a favorable environment for renters to convert to homeowners. You may very well find that in today's market you are able to afford a larger home for the same amount of money or even less money than you are currently paying every month in rent. If you dream of having a home office, starting a family soon or expanding your family, now could be the best time to get the additional space that you need for the right amount of money. I have found a really interesting tool which has the ability to determine if a property is a good investment. It’s a smart real estate rating engine which provides lots of information & insight for making a safe real estate investment and can help produce positive cash flow for you. Look into http://www.smartzip.com/info/score

A real estate investor is someone who actively or passively invests in real estate . An active investor may buy a property make repairs and/or improvements to the property, and sell it later for a profit.