For me it’s been a blessing and money well spent.

Well... they are who they are. 

I'd like to have more certainty as to that first.4.

In my view they made the correct decision and if you spent significant time recovering this cost, well I think we all know what that is. 

I highly recommend a well-qualified REALTOR who works with investors and knows how to help you best.7.

I'd like to see less censorship as well.

You could front the down payment as well as monthly payments to the seller, then charge interest on them.

As explained above, income from the financed portion of the property in an IRA would be taxed as well, but you can deduct related expenses, including depreciation, to minimize this tax liability; that is why I recommend a discussion with a tax expert to understand what your numbers would look like.Hope this helps!  

I don't find even this split worth my time, even as a listing, on my last rental listing I was stood up well over a dozen times last minute!

I do have a silent investor, but when it comes to securing funding, it often feels like I’m navigating it alone.