The IRS rulers prohibit any direct or indirect benefits to you.

What would the indirect costs be (your time, stress, headaches)?

Budget for all of the direct and indirect expenses.Be comfortable hiring others to supplement what you do.  

I was thinking about doing ads on craigslist but since I am a math teacher I prefer the law of averages presented in direct mail. 

So he/she would not be wanting to put me in direct contact with the seller.3.

There can be no direct or indirect benefit to your husband or a business he controls.There is a program referred to as a Rollover as Business Startup that does allow you to take existing tax-deferred retirement funds and use that to capitalize a business that you are directly involved in.  

Jason,Thanks for the tips, that makes a lot of sense.I wouldn't completely discount sales copy though, especially in direct/internet marketing.I guess I'll try out different things to see what pulls the best response.Jason,You're in a prime position to make a lot of money if you have lots of rent to own buyers lined up.

The 50% rule "of thumb" doesn't directly have to do with cash flow it has to do with expenses(which indirectly do affect cash flow).

@Jordan WilsonQuite possibly, yes.So long as the transaction does not create any direct or indirect connection with a disqualified party, exchanging a property for another property instead of cash would not produce any IRS compliance issues for the IRA - in and of itself.  

It seems more like an indirect way of raising municipal revenue and removing the 'interested landlords.'