At the same time, I have decent money in my IRA  invested in mutual funds.  

Dave Ramsey has a good saying about how Thanksgiving Dinner is different when you owe money to the other person at the table.

*Energy Efficiency – Given the hot climate, buyers in Phoenix look out for energy-efficient upgrades like new windows, insulation and solar panels.ABSOLVING COSTS & POTENTIAL PROFITSBefore you put down your money for a fix-and-flip, it’s important to run the numbers on all the costs, including:*Purchase Price — The amount of money paid to acquire the property.

Pick something that fits your style and investment of both time and money. 

The challenge of negotiating against a seller who purchased at the wrong time, invested with the wrong contractor and was losing money on the sale.

I am kind of new to real estate investing as I got lucky the first two times but now I am looking to invest quite a bit more money and I am slightly terrified. 

I've used my own money so far and interested in learning more about the funding side of things.

So many "investors" bury themselves in complex, expensive situations to protect themselves from some unknown threat to their non-existent business.Figure out if you have any shooting skills (or even enjoy the game) before spending money on $600 Nikes or an indoor basketball court. 

You first need to identity your goal for the money. 

It is a complimentary strategy to pull some of your money back and hedge your bet.