Real estate is transactional where people are involved so it won't be a black and white answer.The best to do is to find an agent that fits your needs and guide you through the process.

All IRA-related transactions must be "arm's length", in other words, IRA can't get involved in any transaction with yourself, your immediate family members or any entities these individuals own or control. 

He then says he is going to get a lawyer involved if i dont feel like i owe him anything.

@Amir PortalRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Accept that this asset class, as any, involves risk and do what we can to mitigate those risks through what we can control. 

Our current tech stack is a mix of Buildium (very clunky), Breezeway (great, but limited without a PMS), Xero and Google Suite tools with lots of spreadsheets involved.

You mentioned you haven't purchased an investment property before or been involved with seller financing transactions.

They both were up in the Glendale area for 15-20 years or more, and were very involved with the local business community.

Congrats on becoming a realtor and getting involved with BP.

It is a tough market and there's nothing wrong with taking a breather and waiting for things to stabilize while focusing on savings and education.