What investment is best for you?

As we get older, and supposedly more responsible, most wrestle with the idea of financial stability and how to finally get to a day we can retire.  The older you are the easier it is typically, since you have an established credit score and most likely have a few assets that have equity.  The younger crowd may not have life figured out as well or have as much at their disposal to go buy something new, and the two groups usually need different results with different time-frames.
A middle-aged or older individual needs something that produces more income and has less risk than the younger counterpart.  While both groups can take advantage of historically low interest rates, where to place your money or what investment to make is still a very personal decision affected by a number of outside factors.  Banks and CD's just don't pay a return that is worthwhile and the amount of time needed to realize anything substantial is longer than most are willing or able to wait.  Stocks have been doing well but there is a  fear that the market will correct itself from its all-time highs and what sectors won't be negatively affected cannot be accurately identified.  Real estate in most markets has been beaten up and stepped on to the point where there are great values for buyers able to get financing.  The old adage "Buy when others are selling, and sell when others are buying" couldn't be more accurate.
With stocks and bonds, you can leverage your money and try to determine what the future will hold but that is risky with markets at all-time highs.  Real estate allows you to leverage your money (typically 20-25% down) as well, lock in historically low interest rates so you pay down the outstanding principal much quicker, and come into the market after 6 years of it being depressed but on the upswing.  Real estate, especially income-producing property, allows your investment to make monthly returns to the owner as well as having others pay down the principal for you.  To me it is an easy decision to step into the real estate market and put my money to work for me.