I am also looking for some ideas/directions for what to build that will provide the best rental performance and return.

Since competition is high and inventory is low on Long Island, I recommend BP members try to go direct to seller which is an active form of building an off-market deal list. 

There is a place near me that only does direct booking business and has amazing amenities: https://www.sandyriveroutdooradventures.com/luxury-tipis?

I can do financial modeling with you and talk to other new build investors it's a slow growth plan. build directly at 25% below the market and also identify land too. increase unit counts and get better economies of scale. single family homes will never perform like a three story walk up apartment. we build a stacked triplex in Columbus Ohio with a picture below, if you are set on Dallas look at land prices and see if the economics help. 

If you need further help, DM me, and I’ll point you in the right direction!

To answer your question directly- you might explore some third party software- brightinvestor is a great platform for this type of data. 

DM me, and I’ll point you in the right direction!

You might check with your Self-Directed IRA Trust Company/Custodian, they might have a brokerage connection capability where you can setup a brokerage account tied to your IRA, then you can with that brokerage to invest in various public market investments, in some cases stocks, mutual funds, ETF's, treasuries, and CD's.

I asked my CPA if I should check with my mortgage company before transferring the deed, but they advised that I just do the transfer through an attorney and not explicitly inform the bank.A few attorneys I consulted also had mixed responses, saying it may or may not be an issue, and that many investors do it without problems.Instead of transferring the properties directly to the LLC, would it make more sense to:1. 

Please, anyone, point me in the right direction.