Currently I am interested in using rental properties (single or multi-family) to be the vehicle for that travel, but since we have little in the form of a cash cushion I am eager to learn more about other strategies.I look forward to interacting with y’all and if anyone is in Southern California and wants to meet up (be it fellow newbies trying to figure things out, or experienced real estate titans ready to pass on their knowledge) my wife and I would love it!

Just remember it's a forum primarily for real estate investors, so most of the responses you'll get are from the perspective of people who prefer real estate as their investment vehicle.

If self-directed IRA is not your "thing" Anthony Dooley, that doesn't mean that it won't work for everyone else too (there are millions or investors who are using these vehicles). 

The records or other documentary evidence must support all the following: The amount of each separate expenditure, such as the cost of acquiring the item, maintenance and repair costs, capital improvement costs, lease payments and any other expenses.The amount of each business and investment use (based on an appropriate measure, such as mileage for vehicles and time for other listed property), and the total use of the property for the tax year.The date of the expenditure or use.The business or investment purpose for the expenditure or use

Investors can defer tax on any prior gains until no later than Dec. 31, 2026, so long as the gain is reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund, an investment vehicle organized to make investments in Qualified Opportunity Zones. 

Last vehicle I bought was a 1996 Ford Ranger new engine and clutch with 125k miles on itfor $2000 dollars. 

You have to rehab it, market it, sign a bunch of paperwork, hope deal actually closes, etc etc"I think you make a good point in that you should be looking at all of your investments as vehicles and ask "do they suit your comfort level and help you achieve what you're trying to do?"

DISCLOSURE:  I am a newbie of newbies, who wants REI to be the vehicle to provide income to provide a better life for my family and to fund a better retirement down the road. 

I’m looking to grow more as an investor than as an agent and would like to work with someone with similar goals using brokerage as a vehicle

Often a Self Directed IRA (SDIRA) is presented as a better retirement and/or investing vehicle, especially for its ability to invest in real estate.