They are highly motivated to produce profit, and our interests are fully aligned.

The marketer (guru) severely understates the amount of capital, time, and knowledge needed to produce successful results.And the above mentioned are the BEST case; not even mentioning the guru strategies that are fraudulent, illegal, unethical, and plain not realistically achievable.  

Like others have mentioned, there’s appreciation, depreciation, leverage, and tax benefits that produce a compelling risk adjusted return. 

it will show you how many times it was sold and how much they made (usually millions)Hi Laura, would you please recommend a dependable service who would produce accurate, high quality, court-ready documents?

You can make checking accounts for the deposits but I prefer Savings accounts because it produces more interest that the landlord can keep here in NC ;)

It makes it super easy for us to produce all the financials our Clients need for their tax pros to file their tax returns.

There is a case for buying well-located solid assets that produce immediate current cash flow at reasonable leverage. 

When investing in real estate, having multiple exit strategies is key.For a single investment property, make sure the numbers work for both scenarios: 1️) If you decide to sell the home, the deal should produce a solid return. 2️) If you need to rent it out, the rental income should cover expenses and provide a profit.Flexibility is what saves you when things don’t turn out as planned.

However, you will find it difficult being that both of you are W-2 with your main activity to produce income being outside the real estate profession.

One idea is to proceed with the 1031x, save on the capital gains, parlay your proceeds into income-producing properties, and capitalize on the low-interest rate offered by these operators.