@Jacob StraussenTerm is essentially a commodity biggest difference you will see is if you want to have options to convert to perm that's when you would want to do more research and really get carrier specific.  

It was a groundbreaking study because it was the first to study returns of stock, bonds and residential real-estate since the 1870's across multiple countries. https://www.frbsf.org/wp-content/uploads/wp2017-25.pdfIn the whole period...real-estate had the highest return with stocks a very close second (about 1 percent behind) and bonds lowest.In the modern era, it was essentially the same but with stocks in first place and real estate a very close second (about 1% behind) and bonds lowest.And even in the modern era there were many decade long periods where real estate did better than stocks.Also, there is no way to know what will happen in the future and it's possible that stocks could perform lower for a longer period( or real estate).So, to me it's a no-brainer that I want the diversification of having *both* in my portfolio (and would never limit myself to just one of the other).

As you due your due diligence you often find elements of the existing construction which can be preserved.

I’ve been doing this type of work for way too long, earning whatever number it is my “boss” thinks I’m worth, and I want a career change that gets me out of the rat race.I want to be around happy people (for the most part) doing something creative, that makes me happy, free and lucrative, one that allows me to be my own boss deciding how much money I make, and on my way to living an essential life with multiple streams of income that include me in Europe, writing stories in my free time.

The max Uncle Sam allows is 50k if you haven't taken a TSP loan in the last year.I've seen both good and bad experiences with this but at the end of the day it's no different from any other type of loan, you are just your own bank in a sense.The downside or risk is that you lose your job, your property isn't cash flowing, are unable to pay back the loan, and your retirement account suffers since the loan essentially turns into a withdrawal.The upside or best case is you have the loan for less than a year, your BRRRR pays off the loan, and you pay yourself interest 5% interest.The opportunity cost is if the stock market goes up 20% and you were only paying yourself 5% interest you'll miss out on the excess returns. 

Having a team in place is essential to long-distance investing.

Hello biggerpockets,I am trying to understand all the potential *legal* issues I can run into by trying to split a regular single family home that is zoned as such into essentially a duplex with 2 separate tenants, one living in the house and the other in the basement.

You are essentially telling the IRS that you paid this amount to that worker (the payee), and it is the worker's responsibility to pay taxes on their total income. 

Whether it's commercial real estate, multifamily properties, industrial properties, or development projects, focusing on a specific niche can help you become an expert in that area and differentiate yourself in the market.Build Your Network: Networking is essential in the real estate industry, so continue to build relationships with investors, developers, lenders, brokers, and other professionals.

What you're saying about the importance of vetting the developer is essential.