Treat it like a retirement plan, in fact I replaced my retirement contributions with real estate.

The way I'm looking at it, if my spouse and I only do employer matching for the 10 years we would have more than enough in there and still 10 years out from being able to access it.I do plan on doing 401k loans for deals if the numbers check out, and I've considered rolling over some of our 401ks into roth IRAs to access our contributions but we'd have to pay taxes out of pocket (a big hit to cash flow) and we couldn't touch it for 5 years.  

With that being said, what you described sounds like Owner Contribution (initial reserves / deposits by the investor).  

.- long term: there is a shortage of properties in almost all cities and in some cases and that has contributed to an increase of rents and prices in double digits in some cases. i.e Mafra 10% rent increases last year and Setubal +15% price increase.

It’s basically an unlimited contribution Roth, with tax free borrowing. 

SSI for but very high earners is not going to really cut it for most folks. 

These factors contribute to a stable and expanding economy, which can drive demand for housing.

I'm still really not sure what to do, so thank you very much for your contribution to this thread, I hope you'll say more.

Thank you for your contribution to the tread.There is obviously a value that a traditional turnkey property has.

Affordable Entry Prices: Both Oklahoma City (OKC) and Tulsa offer properties well below your $200K-$300K range, making it easier to meet your cash flow goals.Landlord-Friendly Laws: Oklahoma is one of the most landlord-friendly states, which simplifies managing your investment and dealing with tenants.Strong Rental Demand: Both OKC and Tulsa have stable rental demand, especially in areas near colleges, hospitals, and growing suburbs.Job & Population Growth: OKC, in particular, has been experiencing job growth in energy, aerospace, and tech industries, contributing to a growing rental market.