Quote from @Basit Siddiqi: I personally would not buy real estate with a retirement account.There are just too many headaches that are not worth the potential increased return.Some headaches when it comes to investing in real estate with a retirement account1) LTV values are less and harder to find lenders.2) Potential to sell or partially distibute the property if you have to do a RMD(Required Minimum Distribution)3) If you run out of cash and have to make a major repair, you may be out of luck and have to sell.4) Having to potentially worry about UBTI(Unrelated Business Taxable Income)I would personally invest in stocks/bonds/notes with a retirement account.I buy deals with cash and use a ROTH SDIRA so there are no RMD's.I buy at huge discounts to retail.

most realtors deal with primary / retail buyers and sellers and they too aren't going to just walk properties for you. 

It reminds me of the Charles Schwab study - their best performing retail investment accounts were from dead people that never closed out the account.

JamesI work with the loan programs through wholesale lenders so you wouldn't be able to go direct unless they have a retail side.

BUT they then ran the local grocery stores and some retail stores out of biz.

there was a group of 8 of us that pooled money in a Cabal myself and one other were the main money guys the others put in smaller amounts and when we won one.. we would divy up interest prorata to the amount contributed.. this kept those guys from competing against us and for sure we bid up newbies .. really the only ones that would beat us were those that wanted to live in the house and would just go almost all the way to retail or above .. or someone bidding on a second thinking it was a first and no one is going to help you if you dont know what your doing.. this is a very caveat emptar bizz.

Two groups that I will consider investing with again are Colony Hills Capital for multi family and FNRP, which specializes in grocery and big box store anchored retail spaces.  

there is tremendous demand for inventory by both investors and retail buyers which is making it tough for the casual investor to succeed.it's great that you're thinking about getting your financing in order. 

The cash flow improves quickly, but the cash flow is so negative on retail purchases that it will take years to reach cash neutral.  

But there are also other members of the BoD… who ARE… the big wholesalers, flippers, gurus and turn key rental retail machines.EVIDENCE TO CONSIDER6) who are the biggest “financial supporters” backers, advertisers OF/FOR…the REIA….often THE SAME PEOPLE !!!!