Nevertheless, in practice, self-employment tax liability remains a fair indicator. 

While going the otc route is my preference if this remains a viable activity, your experience seems to indicate this is no longer the case.

@Brett SynickyI copied and pasted from a SIDRA company.Process to Invest Your Self-Directed IRA:Complete a Self-Directed Investment Direction FormIn Section 7 of this form, please indicate the following:Asset being acquiredAmount to disburseDisbursement methodCheck -Need name of payee and address to send check toWire – Need wire instructions.

Parts of it didn’t age well, and is somewhat indicative of how the industry became into the position in which we find it today.

It is also a great place for flippers to make some $$$$$$.Demographic SnapshotPopulation Dynamics: Higher populations in zip codes 13208 and 13210 suggest a vibrant rental market, whereas 13224’s higher median income points to the potential for luxury real estate investments.Age and Housing Needs: The younger demographics in zip codes 13204, 13205, and 13210 indicate a need for affordable, compact living spaces suitable for young singles and new families.Age DemographicsGen Z is actively moving to Syracuse, NY:https://www.localsyr.com/news/gen-z-is-moving-to-major-cities-including-syracuse-why/This migrational data is supported by search terms for jobs at Amazon being up 900% YoY:KeywordAvg. monthly searchesYoY changeamazon jobs syracuse ny500900%amazon careers syracuse ny500900%Market Analysis and Rent TrendsRental Scene: There is a stark contrast in rental prices across the zip codes.

I am going to start a marketing campaign sending letters to potential sellers indicating that I would be interested in buying their home. 

Above all, in my opinion, rental history is the best indicator for finding a good tenant so don't forget to ask for previous landlords numbers and get references from them.  

Listening to his podcast he indicates he overpays for his assets because he believes he’s going to make money as markets increases in value.

So as others have stated experience is definitely a key factor but I feel like across all of these experiences there are a number of inefficiencies at play.However the fact that no investors have responded to my post indicates perhaps I've just had really bad luck.

We all self manage those properties which may be indicative of our results.