Specifically:The $100K limit makes no sense, unless she has a process and data showing the sub 100k properties have been the best investments in that market.Section 8 is problematic.Over the past 16+ years, we've delivered more than 550 investment properties and provide comprehensive services.

All will be delivered vacant, apparently I missed the piece in my offer that allows the seller to stay in the unit up to 7 days after closing... 

If you’d been holding around $620K from a 2019 sale and directed it toward a few properties like that.. especially if you leveraged financing.. you might’ve grown your portfolio’s total value well beyond what many Los Angeles holdings would have delivered over the same period.Then again, L.A. still has that unique mix of robust demand and limited supply.. from what I’ve heard, you can see impressive long-term gains there if you’re comfortble navigating tenant protections.

How about the simple obvious that the inputs to deliver the service/product have a base-line and market prices have, OBVIOUSLY, been at about as lean of operating profit margins as can be. 

. —- Again I’m not saying you have to do these things; it all depends what type of investor you are and what you are looking for however it is important to understand that if you shift the responsibility of either identifying the invest property or managing or any other aspect there WILL be a trade off — in this case the turnkey company has delivered on your goal of 8-9% ROI (projected... so TBC) and in return you have traded some of the other benefits of investing in RE for the convenience of not having to do much more than to look over the properties they have sent you and funding it from the comfort of your home, office, etc. ... again if this is the goal then you are on point but if the goal is to also partake in ALL of the other benefits of RE then you should understand that and not be surprised that it’s not a ‘stellar’ investment that checks all the boxes.

I just don't have the time or desire to comb through their coursework, and I'm sceptical about the "mentoring" aspect - would happily just pay someone who's got incredibly profitable Airbnbs a flat hourly rate for their tailored advice. 

However, consider calling the VA’s regional loan center or speaking with a VA-approved lender who can interpret the rules in a more specific scenario tailored for you.

Because I retired a few years earlier, I don't have a huge runway to recoup after big mistakes but I need reliable investment vehicles, that can still deliver a decent return within a 3-5 yr. window with surety and consistency. 

And up-front costs to deliver quality are not cheap. 

If you're open to working with remote professionals, there are experienced CPAs who can provide valuable insights and strategies tailored to your needs.