Also you need a job that produces enough money to live off of and have extra to invest plus have the flexibility and time to invest and network. 

@Sanjoy V.A deal that produces healthy returns with long term debt in this market shouldn't give you valuation trouble in the future.

You can try owner financing which can produce some very generous deals.

Getting more income-producing properties faster is going to (in most cases) get you there faster.

I am assuming they are computerized, and not using typewriters and mimeographs to produce the documents, so...  20 minutes? 

Great price, great deal and great deal and it produces a positive cash flow.

@Robbie McCarthy a lot of your experiences mirror mine as an agent - lower entry prices can produce the cash flow, sometimes above 2%, but appreciation isn't generally on your side.

Forbes has a habit of putting something like this out every few years.The "bad" thing about investing your IRA in real estate is that the main Wall Street players do not have control over your funds and the means to earn commissions selling financial instruments.His arguments are entirely tilted towards to negative and not providing any context or perspective.I could just as easily pick 3 or 4 historically bad stock investments (Enron) or high fee annuities, and make it sound like that was all that you could expect if you went to a conventional brokerage - which is clearly not the case.For someone who understands real estate as an asset class, there is the potential to have your IRA produce consistent returns and have true diversification away from the news-cycle volatility of conventional financial products.

Its only worth whatever the income it produces will support.  

I asked for the video, it couldn't be produced.