@Derick JenningsRecommend 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?

@Stanley Nguyen You can have an SDIRA despite having a 401k through your employer - it works just like a Traditional or Roth IRA.If you have SE income, you can have a Solo 401k, too, but you are subject to the annual contribution limits across both plans - your Solo 401k and your 401k through your employer.

@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?

Am I correct that a condo, depending on area and neighborhood, could be a lower risk/maintenance investment for an absentee landlord as opposed to other properties?

Focus on tax-saving strategies such as cost segregation studies and bonus depreciation to accelerate deductions.By qualifying as a Real Estate Professional (spending 750+ hours annually and materially participating), you can offset your wife’s S-Corp income with real estate losses, reducing your tax liability.

With 5X leverage, a 4% long term appreciation becomes a 20% annual returns.

A broker shall not be responsible for supervising, nor shall the licensee be responsible for operating, within the scope of the brokerage or within the requirements of this chapter, activities that would be considered property management, including leasing, maintenance, and repair, so long as the real estate being managed is "individually owned" or "entity-owned" as defined below:(1) "individually owned" real estate is real property in which the licensee holds an ownership interest; and(2) "entity-owned" real estate is real property owned by a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or trust, within which entity the licensee holds an ownership interest as an owner, trustee, partner, or officer, or in another beneficiary capacity.

That means weekly on going preventative maintenance fixing small problems before they become big problems. 

I reduced my responsibility to only taxes/insurance while the tenant buyer does the maintenance, pays utilities and makes monthly payments to me. 

You want an investment that pays for itself, including mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and even some money set aside for a reserve to cover vacancies and capital expenditures.