You can arrange your investments in the DJIA yourself or buy an ETF that will do it for you. The SPDR DIA for example, the easy way with generally low costs.
True, many lost their homes and businesses including both my sets of grandparents, because of debt and business failure when the depression began, money dried up.
Rents....some properties, commercial mostly, all the outgoings are paid by the tenant, the landlord doesn't pay anything, but all depends on the level of risk you're prepared to take, how much leverage. Where I live currently there's huge demand for residential rental property, but that's not to say it'll always be like that.
Farmland. Where I live there's no farm subsidies, they went years ago, a high risk business that often requires huge amounts of debt, but can be a good lifestyle with tremendous rewards.
Owning gold bars isn't going to make you rich and the numerous posts here touting global meltdowns are spinoffs from the catastrophe websites like Holter/Sinclair/Schiff and co.
