The answers to most of your questions can be found just by searching in BP or online. 

Have these guys ever heard of Quicken or any of the online personal finance programs available to track spending?

To go a bit further into what Dmitriy mentioned, since your IRA earns the income the tax treatment is specific to your IRA.

REI) and it will populate in-person and online events.

This will help you close deals faster.Focus on marketing and lead generation to find motivated sellers—direct mail, driving for dollars, and online marketing all work well here.Know your numbers—being able to accurately assess the value of properties and make solid offers is key.Network with other investors and professionals—attend local REI meetups, connect with title companies, and build relationships with hard money lenders.Feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat more or exchange ideas!

I hope the transparency is helpful to investors.Note: I have received an "Online Defamation" letter from the Blake Capital Group.   

for me it was income potential of earning commissions instead of salary.so at 18 I got my RE license.. and while it was a bit of a chore getting going as it is for most agents..

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.

It's not investing anymore in the earning sense, it's more so a high interest savings account.

I would prefer something I can buy once - software subscriptions are a nuisance.Something that automatically downloads transactions from my online banking portal and that can be used to easily categorize expenses for financial statements would be excellent.Thanks,KevinHi, Kevin.