Investing in real estate can be a scary thing. Many people comment that they don't want to fix a toilet or deal with a tenant's problems. I've been a real estate investor for 20 years and have never once repaired a toilet. I don't know how and don't want to learn. I look at real estate as a commodity and a cash flow machine. Now true you can save some money doing your own repairs and property management, but you don't have to to make investment real estate work for you. A professional property manager can handle all those headaches for you and send you a check each month. Additionally, handymen are numerous and can definitely help in the day to day toilet explosions and tenant issues.
The bottom line is you don't have to fix toilets to own real estate. Spend your time looking for deals and not fixing toilets, leave that to the guy with the tools.