Safeguard reached out to me when I was in my mid 60s, and offered lending notes secured by real estate. 

I've used them for setting up real estate Trusts, but that's about it.

@Jack Cottrellyou said you "need properties that I can get at a good deal that cash flow and appreciate while minimizing the trouble commonly associated with real estate"well... yeah, everyone wants those properties. 

Pair that with going to real estate investor meetups and you will start your journey.

Building a real estate portfolio might be attractive, but if you're crunched for time, perhaps you could do private lending in a SDIRA or get into syndications.

Which market do you have experience in and how is your experience working remotely with your real estate team in the area?  

Quote from @Melissa Vass Scott: Hey everyone, would value your opinions as we are working towards building a real estate portfolio in the US. 

At that time, my friend encouraged me to get into real estate with the idea of creating passive income and wealth in future (via appreciation).

Quote from @Basit Siddiqi: That's real wisdom.

So not really a one sized fits all approach which is the nice thing about real estate being able to cater it to yourself and your goals.