I've been in real estate for the past 7 years, and I got my start like so many other investors through reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. 

Back when I first started in 2018 there would be properties under 50K they’d be interested in.

If you only have a homeowners policy, and something happens like a fire or a guest gets injured, and the insurance company finds out you're renting out the house, you're in deep trouble. 

If you do have enough other income then you dont even need to lease out this property to start your refinance.However if you dont have enough income to qualify with no rental income offset then yes you will need to obtain your lease(s) and security deposit + 1st months rents deposited before you can utilize 75% of this gross income - your monthly PITIA payment (in terms of qualification on this property refinance.So all in all Id make sure what your current debt to income position is first of all (DTI) and then strategize to see if you even need the leases at all.

At the end of the project I started asking different questions to my realtor, who I still use.

I'm still learning, but I'm glad I started investing in more real estate.

Let's start there. 

Start by networking through local meetups, REIA groups, and online communities like BiggerPockets to connect with experienced investors.

Their a/c starting leaking and has missing ductwork, and is blowing air in random places.

Many people choose NOT to have this, because the administrator will then vet every investment you make to ensure you do not invalidate your IRA.Invalidating your IRA means that you've done a prohibited transaction and the entire account is then deemed as distributed to you.If you don't want checkbook control, then I recommend a plan administrator such as Equity Trust - www.trustetc.comIf you are sure that you're aware of all the rules around prohibited transactions and disqualified people (who you can and can't do business with), then a plan administrator like Sense Financial would be a good place to start talking.