You have a lot to digest and comment on.  

So much information to digest, but from the surface, I will likely stick to Real Estate for a bulk of my investments and ask the financial advisor for assistance with a tax-deferred account. 

For what it's worth, keep in mind that new properties come along with some challenges if you're buying in a tract home from a developer.  

It's counterintuitive because a lot of SFR buyers (for their personal residence) hate tract homes and find value in the "unique".  

I'm in the knowledge inhaling phase now - trying to breath in and digest as much as I can.

Request a copy of the contract in advance of any work or obligation so you have enough time to digest the content.  

Where some Borrowers get crossed up is when they compare a 50 year old 1200SF SFH with a similar one which just just got built THIS YEAR as part of a tract development or whatever......can't do that.  

I would start by going to the monthly real estate investors meeting in Warwick, and just spending some time on here digesting the tons of information.

I have a buddy building a small tract in Fontana Ca.

The adjacent property to mine is a small acreage vacant wooded tract that is abandoned.