just that you are obviously not experienced in this area. Am I wrong?

Unlike stocks which are very volatile and thus require those with limited technological and educational resources to buy index and mutual funds to see success, rental property is simple math. If you do basic research you know your likely rental return within a reasonable range, you know the cost of the property and the monthly mortgage, and you know your fixed costs. There are variable costs for repairs so you keep a reasonably robust emergency fund and expect returns more conservative than you hope to get.

It probably sounds very risky but the more you do it the more you see everything fall into place. Finding the right property is key but not rocket science. Also having the right property manager is crucial. You would be amazed at how consistent the rent income becomes after a couple of years of experiencing repair trends and adding multiple properties to mitigate the losses. My wife was the biggest doubter of this and is now the biggest believer. A normal semi intelligent patience person who goes into a real estate deal with their numbers conservative and coming out on top should be able to be successful in owning a rental.