You may choose to invest in real estate directly by acquiring a property, or passively by investing through a syndication (or by being a lender to someone else.  2) pencil out the numbers to see if the math is in your favor for a Roth Conversion and real estate investment with a SDIRA.

Especially with the favorable tax incentives offered to buy and hold real estate vs the ordinary income tax you'll pay on private lending.A 1031 exchange would allow you to indefinitely defer all of the capital gains tax you would have to pay, and instead use it to purchase better performing property/properties.

I used Hanscom credit union, which I hear a decent amount from other investors in MA.

Calling me a "newbie" would give me too much credit, but I do want to house hack when we move, and then look into rental properties if I manage to be a decent landlord.

Negotiated during the lockdown which helped in my favor.

I always thought I needed tons of cash or perfect credit to get started.

So if you have good credit and cash, it makes starting any type of business a lot easier. 

Perform the same task in each app to ensure a fair comparison.Load a property with pictures and details.Market that property.See what your marketing looks like from the public's perspective.Submit a fake application to see how easy the process is.Run a credit/screening report on yourself.Enter a maintenance request, assign a vendor, and attach a fake invoice.Enter charges to the tenant's ledger.Enter recurring charges and automatic late fees.Sign documents electronically.Run owner reports.After testing a few apps, one should clearly stand out.

We don't accept letters from three years ago or some quack on the phone with a credit card reader.

Have them sign lease at full amount, then give them a monthly rent credit.