What's a good way to invest $20,000?

Serious answers please...

Buy some video equipment,get hot chicks drunk,tell them you'll give them free t shirts to get naked on camera.Call the videos Girls Gone Wild and market them on late night infomercials.You'll make millions!      

real estate in coastal Georgia....the yankees all want to be here, the folks in Florida want to be here and the people from Atlanta already own second homes here.  Recession-proof and downturn-proof.  Yes, we are slow right now but nothing at all like the majority of the country.

I recently put $50,000 in the GE Tactical Fund.... got an average of 10% return in the past 6 months 

I do a lot of real estate, stocks and bonds.  As of right now, they are all pretty bad.  What I can tell you is that there are a lot of incentives for investors to build a home in the Mississippi coastal area.  With the credit industry the way it is, the competition has fizzled and I recently built 2 modular homes with a builder and had them rented immediately.  My investment was $14,500 and I am getting $200 per month in positive cash flow.  Not to mention the reason I got a good rate is because when the bank did my appraisal my home is 10% under appraised value.  Coastal GA, FL stink right now.  I have a house in Brunswick and Valdosta, GA and I am losing about $500 a month on them.  For my MS house, I paid $127,000.  I can give you my builder if you'd like.  He's very good.  He is or was the VP of International Aid which was a big political connection after Katrina.  Just my 2 cents

speaking of real estate and coastal properties does anyone have a view on purchasing in the NC, Nags Head area? specifically the Corolla, NC area may be in for a rise if they build the bridge at the north end. I learned that all approvals have been secured and the building may start by 2010.

hard to answer w/out knowing your financial situation or risk tolerance but here goes a .....

 

..... quick easy answer is put 5k in 4 different mutual funds, emerging markets, a large cap vgrowth fund like american funds growth fund of america , a mid cap value fund, and maybe a tax advantages bond fund

 

any ?'s email or call me, my info is in my profile

Are you looking for a business to run? Are you looking to invest the $20,000? If you lost the $20,000 would it adversely affect your lifestyle. What do you like to do? Why do you trust the opinions of gambling degenerates instead of Pro's. Franchise are expensive and you're basically buying yourself a JOB. Network Marketing is a JOKE with the owners and the top distributors make the Big Bucks and bullshit the Bottomfeeders.I have a bus. opp for you but Covers does not let us solicit fellow posters which I agree with.  on you decision. P.S. if you can sell buy a business..if you hate selling invest your money.

Lots of factors but in general if you have plenty of time and don't want to cherry pick stocks or watch the market, Growth Fund of America and just add to it every time you can afford to.

give it to me and i'll give 40,000 when ever its done.

I would take that $20,000 and put it as a down payment on a small home or a duplex somewhere that costs in the $75,000 to $100,000 range. One you could get positive cash flow on by renting it out. San Antonio is a spot where a lot of people are making it happen, also Phoenix but the prices there are higher than $100,000 for sure. Anywhere it could work if the numbers (positive cash flow) work. Im not sure where youre from but even if you have to do this in another state than the one you live in it can be a VERY profitable investment. Have someone making your payments for you woth their rent and having the property appreciate as youre basically buying it for free.