Real estate investing has been a passion of mine for time with my mother also having invested early on where I likely have gotten the love and desire to follow similar foot steps.I have taken last 6 months to educate myself and currently own a single family home as primary residence and would like to expand to multi family properties (2-4 units) for additional stream of income, not to mention potential tax benefits for long-term investing.Based on current living situation, I have a fair amount of equity established in my primary residency along with having enough cash to either pay off house completely or use towards investing in a multi family property.Given that I'm the sole source of income for our household with my wife being the home maker for our two kids under 2, trying to weigh out risks with getting started now or perhaps waiting. 

The hesitation often comes down to cost, perceived limitations, and lack of education about the benefits.

You may also need to provide additional documentation, such as proof of income and employment, and may need to have a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.In terms of buying with an LLC, it can be a good option for some foreign buyers, as it can provide additional liability protection and potentially offer tax benefits.

Where is the benefit to the end buyer here? 

Very good point.In the case of Arizona, I have been unable to locate any state law / code that suggests Arizona may have additional regulations. 

It's a forced equity and appreciation play with the benefit of personal use and the hope that 100% bonus depreciation comes back.

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

You mentioned "The only problem is that these are 6 month lends, I'm 1.5 months into this, so any work that I do now will not reap any kind of benefits until 6 months from now."

They may justifying paying more by claiming they’re paying the premium for the “business”, but since the “business” and the real property are inseparable the property owner will still benefit from the increased value due to the arbitrager efforts.  

Private funding from a relative may provide flexible terms and reduced financial risk, but formal agreements are necessary, and interest paid is deductible for you but taxable for them.Traditional investment property loans offer stability and tax benefits like deductible interest and property taxes but require larger down payments.