[dmeeker]

If you're an accredited investor and willing to make it $25k instead of $10k, this is totally available right now on CrowdStreet and similar sites (although CS is the clear front-runner in quality and quantity of offerings).

Sponsors looking to raise equity to purchase a property pay a fee to list their projects on the site, CS does some amount of due diligence on both sponsor and project, and when you invest you're buying an equity stake in the entity that will actually purchase the property.

If you want "safeguards for bad times" you'll have to do your due diligence and dial your risk tolerances appropriately.