A Variety of Assets is Better than Death by Tenants

For ETFs and REITs I would recommend Stein and Demuth's Yes You Can Be a Successful Income Investor and Siegel's Stocks for the Long Run. Of course I would also have to promote my own book listed below which has a number of sections that covers dividend payers including ETFs, REITs and Royalty Trusts -www.myhappyassets.com

Good luck and yes, passive income can come from varying sources including stocks. Each asset class has its own pros and cons. In real estate you have leverage, control, depreciation, amortization but honestly, unless you have property management you also get tenant headaches and property management can greatly reduce cash flow.

With stocks, the management is built in, you get cash flow but it is at a higher tax rate (floor of 15%) and you do lose control over the investment. (if you own Coke stock for example, how are you going to increase sales? Go buy a boat-load of Coke from your local Super-Mart?) Still, stock is passive from the start and if you match what Warren Buffett does, you buy good businesses with consumer monopolies.

The net-net is that financial freedom can come about via a plethora of asset classes. I am a proponent having a portfolio comprised of varying, diversified asset classes - real estate, stocks, covered call stocks, business and web income which is covered in the book below as well ...

myhappyassets.com