You may also be limiting yourself with HELOC opportunities since the LLC owns the home and you own it indirectly.

@Mary Gallardo For flip business, direct costs (acquisition, rehab materials & labor) and indirect costs (taxes, interest, insurance, etc.) that are properly allocable related to development and construction of the property are capitalized.

If you issue them - you're indirectly acknowledging that your IRA is engaged in a trade or business - which can potentially expose your IRA to UBIT tax.

I am very new to REI but I've been in direct sales my whole life.

And, what about the downsides in direct ownership (there are plenty)? 

My expectation is that this offers the seller savings and, indirectly, gives me the ability to offer a bit less.This listing agent trying to take it all definitely hurt our offer.

RE Taxes might be appeal-able but that is indirectly tied to rent and more to NOI / CAP rates / etc.Similarly, certain CAPEX is independent of rents (e.g.

Househacking is great because as it provides you the opportunity to get into real estate with less cash down(3.5% if you did an FHA).It also provides you "training wheel's" to becoming a landlord as Brandon Turner would say.A lot of NY real estate investors are investing in upstate NY, nearby states such as CT, NJ, PA or doing long-distance investing in states across the United States.Not many NYers are investing in NYC itself because of the higher entry point and a lot of the properties do not provide cash-flow opportunities(however they can provide appreciation...but not many investors like that speculation portion).Remember from a tax perspective that your househack is part rental property part personal residence.The personal residence portion of the house is eligible for exclusion of upto $500,000 of gain if you live there for 2 years.The investment property portion of the house is eligible for like kind exchange upon sale deferring your gain.Also you are able to deduct direct expenses and indirect expenses related to the investment property on your tax return.

I haven't found anything in the last 3 months (am using MLS - I'm not interested in direct marketing) that will work. 

Neither do I get any any perks, directly or indirectly by mentioning them.