Leverage it and learn.

Quote from @Jonathan Chan: I used my Mom's to help her retire by becoming a lender on real estate projects, but curious to see how others are leveraging their SDIRA.  

Start by leveraging your skills to identify undervalued properties, perform cost-efficient renovations, and build sweat equity.

There’s no single right answer to every situation, but the more you educate yourself and build your network, the more confident you'll become.Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask questions here, no matter how small they seem.

A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

No lender will lend that high leverage. 

To answer your last question, my realtor has contractor contacts I should be able to leverage for rehab budget estimates, as well as family friends with experience in the construction trades.

Would love to see an example of some real life qualifying activities and what you're including.Please keep in mind that research and education hours do not count by themselves! 

I am reading a bunch of real estate investing books , talking to realtors & loan officers, and trying to educate myself best I can.I'm also looking to expand my network within the real estate investing community, and I believe this is a great opportunity to connect.

Leverage your construction expertise to accurately estimate rehab costs and streamline renovations, and focus on financing strategies like hard money or private loans for your BRRRR deals.