Because I'm not an accountant or versed in tax code and law wouldn't I want a CPA to ensure everything is legally tight and as advantageous as it can be? 

(to actually take advantage of the economy of scale) I am not sure even that is a rare gem.

I'm not the greatest storyteller, but it seemed like i was taken advantage of, and i'm at a point in my life right now where i'm clueless and i'm not even sure if Real Estate is the right path for me anymore...

Yes they usually have HOAs and that could be an advantage to keep property values up.

I have so many questions though.1) Can anyone tell me more about series LLC and whether it's necessary to hold each property in a separate LLC2) What are your thoughts on a trust, rather than an LLC - advantages, disadvantages etc?

Hi Max, I can speak about the Columbus Ohio market (as this is the market I specialize in) but yes, there is strong competition here and there are obviously some cash buyers and they will always have a slight advantage.

I enjoy teaching BP members how to use the system to save more money by using programs and taking advantage of loopholes.

While you don't exactly validate his claim..sounds like for many it might be moving that way.Is there any city that could make it a competitive advantage? 

I don't think rent to retirement can vet a deal any better than anyone else or you, they just have a bit of a system. but the new builds in Lehigh acres, Cape Coral, north port, etc are all garbage. septic systems, poor economics, low rent to purchase price ratios, you are banking on appreciation and buying at market. building direct is going to give you a competitive advantage on a 3 unit let's say worth 600,000 you are going to be 120k ahead than if you bought it through them. that's my analysis. if you are super lazy and too busy to make money and have millions to throw around then I'd recommend not thinking much about investing. but you can also invest in funds and be way omre passive than buying a new build from far away. but if you want to add real value then get involved and make it happen. getting wealthy isn't easy. you work hard for your money and there are build to rent developers like us that try to answer and add value to start buiding relationshipsl

I have a few over 100 years old.they come with their own unique problems, but to be honest I think they have some advantages too.