"It would be a buy-and-hold with an eye on the long-term gain -- a stream of income for now, with the possibility of selling it when prices come back," Venter said.

Gary Hippensteel, who owns six properties he rents in Indianapolis at about 10 percent yields, said he didn't want to keep his money in a bank because it earns "next to nothing." The highest yield for a one-year certificate of deposit in the U.S. last week was about 1 percent, according to Bankrate.com.

"People want the safety of having a tangible asset," Hippensteel said. "While it's still subject to volatility in the overall economy, you at least have an asset that people will need, because if they can't buy a house they are going to have to rent."

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