I can come up with 10k cash (willing to pull from my after-tax contributions to my Roth IRA) and I can take about another $50K from a backdoor IRA rollover from my prior employer's 401(k), but I'd rather not do that.

If not, it is worth exploring an S-Corp, which would partially shield you from some self employment taxes while also providing a greater base of wages to take a 199A deduction. 199A might go away in 2026, so maybe don't make any radical moves just for the next 2 years unless the tax savings will be substantial. 

Would he/she need to “employ” us, so to speak? 

The Austin metro is sitting at super low unemployment rates 3.7% even as the metro is growing daily as the employment force expands rapidly.

It's all under the same banner and controlled by one company.They have the ability to negotiate with the City of Cle Elum, WA, as they are probably its biggest employer.

This is correct--save that an ethics violation can cause an agent to lose it's license and a brokerage to risk the same for employing that agent.

Hell, the Fed employs 100+ researchers and 400 PHD economists.They are usually wrong about both: where inflation will be, and what their own interest rates (Fed Funds rate) will be.

I consider myself more of a self-employed business owner than a real estate investor and I still consider our business a 'startup' after almost 8 years-- I guess I'm on the slow train.

Orhi Hi Orhi,Been plugging away in Toledo, OH since 2014Here are answers to your criteria regarding Toledo1) $75,000 - $100,000 buys solid B class2) Toledo University is solid and employs many people and has foreign students (43607 zip code)3) Car manufacturers, Pro-Medica, Andersons and the glass industry (Most blue all blue collar)4) Hit and a miss5) Declining population from a macro market but certain pockets in high demand from a micro market stadpoint6) 500,000 people including surrounding suburbsWishing you much success

I'm of course bias, but we get a lot of Nor Cal investors here because we're driving distance but have low property taxes (that do NOT reassess on the sale), stable job growth, employment growth, land constraints that drive appreciation, and much more landlord friendly laws.