There are also a lot of different options in real estate to single family residential, multifamily, commercial, NNN and then being on the debt side of being the lender which has cash flow but not appreciation. 

You can contribute by finding deals or managing properties in exchange for a share of the profits.Lease Options: Control properties without owning them by renting with an option to buy, and potentially sublease for profit.Owner Financing: Buy properties directly from sellers willing to finance, bypassing traditional lenders and often requiring less upfront money.REIGs: Join real estate investment groups to pool funds with others for property investments.For a more hands-off approach, investing in turnkey properties in growing markets with minimal upfront investment would be ideal (like in the Southeast and Midwest of the country).

Now the decision between option 2 or 3 depends on a few variables.

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I would love to hear from those who have actually invested in these areas vs. realtors/real estate agents.  

Another option could be a home equity line of credit (HELOC) if you have enough equity in your primary or second home.

I actually look at this section when I'm doing a market analysis.

I would actually recommend using the agent finder for the market your looking to get started in to find you an agent that specializes in out-of-state investors in your chosen market.

Credit is a factor as bad credit may limit options, or may have the lender require you to put 10 or 20 years of taxes and insurance into escrow. 

You can read about the differences here: Cost Segregation Study Approaches ExplainedLet’s first start with what the approaches:Detailed Engineering Approach from Actual Cost RecordsDetailed Engineering Cost Estimate ApproachSurvey or Letter ApproachResidual Estimation ApproachSampling or Modeling Approach"Rule of Thumb" ApproachSo which of these approaches is required by the IRS?